The annual overview of planning in 2021 shows that 83% of applications were approved in Waterford.
This fell slightly under the national average approval rate of 88.5%.
Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen praised Waterford City & County Council for "delivering key statutory planning functions within strict timelines."
198 Council owned sites were classed as derelict or vacant, while figures released by the Central Statistics Office identified 5,194 sites.
The higher number represented those subject to the Vacant Site Levy, Vacant Homes Logged, and CSO Vacant Houses and Flats not including holiday homes.
The report acknowledges that 2021 was a year where funding streams were tapped into with the aim of urban and rural regeneration. However, it was stressed that investment such as this funding requires action to be taken on vacant and derelict buildings.
Niall Cussen says, "While core planning functions continue to experience high volumes of activity, more is also being asked of local authorities.”
Some of the key findings of the report showed that which 83% of applications were approved, which translates to more than 800 applications.
Of the decisions made by the planning department, 6.2% were appealed to An Bord Pleanála. It was the decision of the Bord to reverse 34.3% of decisions appealed to it. This represents a higher rate of reversal than the national rate of 27.7%.
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