THE Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022-2028, which highlights the ambitions for the next six years, has officially been launched by the Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr John O’Leary. Cllr O’Leary said the plan provides a clear roadmap to enable the city and county reach its full potential and deliver key objectives in economicdevelopment, housing, placemaking, climate action and transport.
“Waterford’s ambitions for the next six years are writ large in this development plan,” he said.
“The public consultations yielded over 1,000 submissions. This is heartening and highlights how much the public is truly invested in Waterford’s vision for growth and improvement.
“Waterford’s commitment to a proactive and dynamic approach towards sustainable social, environmental and economic development of the region is steadfast and this development plan lays the foundation for achieving these objectives,” he added.
proactive and dynamic approach
The development plan is now at the heart of a plan-led system whereby public capital investment programmes and priorities are aligned to support the adopted development strategy.
This principle has been established through Project Ireland 2040, comprising both the National Planning Framework (NPF) as the State’s national spatial development strategy and the National Development Plan (NDP) as the capital investment programme to support delivery at all levels of the planning hierarchy.
By ensuring good policy alignment with EU, national and regional policy, the development plan can drive investment that is targeted towards identified priorities and leverage funding and partnership opportunities at a local level.
The Development Plan also provides the basis on which Local Area Plans will be prepared for parts of Waterford City, Dungarvan, Tramore and other urban towns across the county over the lifetime of the plan.
a coherent and appropriate strategy
The Planning Regulator (OPR) commended the local authority on “a coherent and appropriate strategy for the delivery of key national planning objectives,
including the promotion of compact growth and town and village centre regeneration.”
The Development Plan and the complete suite of documents including all environmental
reports available to view by members of the public at: www.waterfordcouncil.ie
