Home of Waterford GAA gets upgrade green light after resident's appeal dismissed
The redevelopment of the home ground of Waterford GAA is set to go ahead after an appeal by a residents’ group to an upgrade of Walsh Park was declared invalid.
An Bord Pleanála has ruled that an objection by Belvedere Manor Residents’ Association against the proposed refurbishment of the Waterford city stadium was inadmissible.
Planning permission for the redevelopment, which is estimated could cost up to €7m, was granted to the Waterford County GAA Board earlier this month by Waterford City and County Council.
The refurbishment of the stadium will see the capacity of Walsh Park increase from 11,350 to 16,000.
Waterford’s senior hurlers had to play their home matches in this year’s Munster hurling championship in Semple Stadium in Thurles and the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick due to the limited size of the existing facilities at the ground.
Any appeal to An Bord Pleanála would have delayed the upgrade of Walsh Park by at least six months and placed its availability to host Waterford’s home games in the 2020 championship in jeopardy.
A total of six submissions were received by the council about the proposed development with most relating to concerns about traffic in the vicinity of Walsh Park on match days.
Planning permission was granted by the local council subject to 13 conditions including the requirement of the Waterford County GAA Board to operate a traffic management plan for fixtures which attract large attendances.
While having no difficulty with the redevelopment of Walsh Park itself, Belvedere Manor Residents’ Association said it had serious concern about the lack of traffic management plans in place for match days as well as about construction traffic during any upgrade works.
We have experienced a huge amount of difficulties in the past on big match days totalling 3,000 spectators with drivers parking their cars indiscriminately on approach to our estate, around the estate and indeed in residents’ driveways without their permission,” said a spokesperson.
Under the redevelopment plan, all the existing structures in Walsh Park with the exception of the main Southern Stand will be demolished.
The main stand, which will have a 6,000 capacity, will be completely refurbished with the existing wooden benches removed and replaced with bucket seating. An uncovered seating stand will be built opposite the main stand with a covered terrace at the Keane’s Road end of the ground and an uncovered seated stand at the opposite end.
It is expected the redevelopment works will take about a year to complete which means Waterford’s inter-county hurling team will continue to play championship home games outside the county again next summer.
