Waterford LGFA’s proposed ‘Field of Dreams’ which garnered national attention will not be going ahead unless a 218 home strategic housing development at Duckspool, Dungarvan gets the green light also.
The news was confirmed by the proposed developer of both sites, local businessman Michael Ryan, at a meeting on Wednesday evening.
Members of the development group for a state of the art facility which would see Waterford LGFA become the first ladies’ football team in Ireland to own their grounds outright, have claimed that Waterford City & County Council intend to dezone lands at Duckspool which have already been approved for planning permission by An Bórd Pleanála for 218 homes.
Planning permission was granted in November for the construction of 218 houses as part of a strategic housing development on lands adjacent to nearby schools, St. Augustine’s College and Scoil Garbháin.
A challenge against the proposed 218-home strategic housing development at Duckspool had since been set to go forward to the High Court. The plans for the Duckspool area had been given the green light by the planning board, despite a wealth of objections and a recommendation of refusal of the strategic housing development by Waterford City & County Council.
The applicant for the plan is KMPG Future Analytics, who submitted the development with the planning board on behalf of Mr. Michael Ryan, on the 7th of July last year.
The proposal outlined an ambition to construct 176 houses and 42 apartments, with some of the buildings potentially four stories high, a crèche and associated site works in fields across from the aforementioned schools.
At the forefront of the concerns from residents was the ecological impact that any proposed development may have. The fields in question are known to flood in inclement weather conditions, while they are also home to various animal species, with 1% of Ireland’s Brent geese population known to frequent the lands each year.
Ground works have already commenced on a 16-acre site in Ballinroad, which was proposed to contain an eight lane international standard running track, a hockey pitch with a spectator stand, an underage pitch, club house, changing rooms, an ancillary car park, two all-weather basketball courts and two five-a-side pitches.
The intention of the developer was that the sports facility would have been funded by the sale of the development lands for the 218 home development at Duckspool. The profit was intended to be split with 70% going to the Waterford LGFA and the other 30% heading to the Kilgobnet GAA Club.
Speaking at the information meeting on the status of the sporting facility, Mr. Ryan outlined how he had initially made a purchase of lands in Ballinroad at a cost of €330,000 to develop the said field, despite objections from two local builders.
Mr. Ryan told those present that he had approached the CEO of Waterford City & County Council, Mr. Michael Walsh, regarding the possibility of constructing homes in the Duckspool area - a proposition which was not met with open arms.
The application for the 218-home development then went above Waterford City & County Council as a strategic housing development and instead straight into the hands of An Bórd Pleanála, who approved the proposal despite the recommendations of Waterford Council to reject such. Mr. Ryan noted his surprise at the recommendation of the local authority at the time.
He noted the current High Court challenge put forward by locals Lisa Dolan and Neil Renton on ecological grounds, and stated his disappointment that the lands, which had been zoned for 20 years, were now to be potentially repurposed as part of Waterford Council’s County Development Plan 2022-2028.
“I’ve spent €3m on Duckspool. I don’t want to lose it. The ladies football facility will not happen if Duckspool is lost.”
Edel Curry of the LGFA’s ‘Field of Dreams’ Committee said that the group had been working on proposals for a state-of-the-art facility locally since 2015.
She noted how ground works have already commenced at the site in Ballinroad, with Wexford based contractors Kehoe Brothers Machinery Limited working to ready the field for construction. The application was also in receipt of €150,000 under the Sports Capital Grant 2022 in February.
Paul Heffernan of the Waterford LGFA said that the commitment is there on the end of the developer to build, and it is a simply a ‘need’ for Waterford.
“It’s what this town needs and the commitment is there to build. It’s going to happen, but it can only happen if the Duckspool site is sold for housing. That’s the funding stream and that message must come across. The main beneficiaries are 70% to the Waterford LGFA, and the likes of West Waterford Athletics Club and Dungarvan Hockey Club, but the real winners are young people and children. Let’s put Dungarvan on the map as a true regional and national centre for sport. That’s an aspiration for achievement. Some obstacles have been put in the way, but they are not insurmountable.”
Tony Horan, Management Director with the Duckspool SHD, outlined how he and Michael Ryan met with the engineering department of Waterford City & County Council to speak specifically about the flood risk, and whether or not houses could be built on the lands in question.
“We were told no. There has got to be a finished floor level of 3.42 metres. Once you do that, and work only within specific areas, then - off you go. There have been applications refused on the land in the past, but these applications were small and made without the assistance of fully dedicated design teams. They were made with a lack of height and flood risk assessment whereas Michael has assembled a full design team.”
Mr. Horan outlined how the Council continued to meet with the developers on a number of occasions to discuss the SHD proposal, with Mr. Horan claiming that there was no forthcoming objection from the department to the development as a whole.
It was noted that there are no plans for development within certain sections of the lands on account of acknowledged flood risks, whereas elsewhere, the development would be fully protected by existing flood defences.
“A full flood risk assessment and a myriad of other reports had gone to An Bórd Pleanála and there were tri-party discussions with ourselves, ABP and the Council. An Bórd Pleanála pushed ahead with permission on the premise that any house would have a floor level of 3.42m. Even if the flood defence wall collapsed into the sea, it still wouldn’t flood. No one within An Bórd Pleanàla has called the flood risk into question. There’s no risk of knock on flooding to other houses in the area by virtue of ongoing development.”
Waterford Council has been asked by the Office of the Planning Regulator to clarify why they intend to dezone the lands given that they are the subject of an active planning permission, as well as being along a network road to the N25, and in proximity to two local schools.
€6.5m worth of investment is at risk of jeopardy, and John Frewen, who has been County Chairman with the Waterford LGFA since 2015 noted the growing popularity of the sport in the Déise.
“We have 23 existing clubs and another 2 have come along since the land was bought. There are 2,900 members, up by 700 this year and there is an aim of expanding that again to 3,500. There are six county teams from U-14 up to senior, 25 adult teams, 180 juvenile teams. To get pitches is near impossible as is getting matches. Over €1m has been put into Waterford ladies’ football by Michael Ryan. In excess of €800K has been spent buying land and excess land as well as preparatory work. Waterford Council are treating these women as second class citizens. It’s time they get a say in the county. Let the girls get a chance.”
Returning to the potential implications of any High Court judicial review ruling, Mr. Ryan said:
“Even if we lose that, so be it. If it’s dezoned, it’ll be gone forever. Then, it’ll be just a pitch and that’ll be it. I don’t want to pay for it. I already have €3m going in.”
The Waterford LGFA committee encouraged those present to make submissions to the County Development Plan, and to engage with local councillors regarding their stance on the issue.
In a statement issued to WLR, Waterford Council say they will not be commenting on the matter at this time as it is currently under the statutory process.
