Planning needs to be looked at when it comes to one-bed apartments constructed by Waterford Council.

Sinn Féin Councillor Jim Griffin says new build apartments should at least have two bedrooms.

The latest Waterford Council Housing Report was presented to Councillors recently.

Speaking at the most recent Plenary meeting of Waterford Council, Cllr. Jim Griffin said the North Quays is an area of concern.

“I see most recently in the North Quays we have a planning application submitted for nine blocks and we see a lot of one-bedroom apartments in there. If they are going to be social, affordable, or council, I don’t see why anybody should have a one bed. You should be able to accommodate company, be it your son, your daughter or your grandchild.

Meanwhile, there has been a decrease in the amount of derelict sites registered in Waterford in 2024.

Labour Councillor Seamus Ryan questioned the drop in the figures.

“I noticed the cases opened in 20223 were 259, but there seems to have been a big drop in 2024 to 126. Is there a reason for the large drop?”

In response, Director of Services for Planning with Waterford Council, Ivan Grimes said there were reasons behind the drop in numbers, citing that the initiative was new in 2023 with an upsurge in applications at the start.

Mr. Grimes also mentioned that there is plenty of land available for development in the Northwest Suburbs of Waterford City, as well as Kilbarry.

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