If approved, last minute changes to the North Quays development will mean that there will be no three bed apartments.
It has been widely reported that the overall quantity of apartments will increase by 80 in this new proposal for the North Quays. However changes in the application at this late stage have sparked concerns regarding the social impact the North Quays development will eventually have.
In total the latest North Quays application seeks permission to build 228 one-bed apartments and 202 two-bed apartments. Which is a massive increase in the quantity and proportion of one bed apartments, as the original planning permission allowed for 106 one-bed, 207 two-bed, and 37 three-bed apartments.
With the latest Census putting the average family size at 2.74 people, this would mean that the housing boost promised by the North Quays would not be suitable to the average family.
Objection
There has been one objection so far to the proposed update to the North Quay plans.
Correspondence made available to The Munster Express had a very strongly worded opposition.
According to this objection, residents of Sion Row have been completely overlooked during the North Quays project. Sion Row is a small row of traditional bungalows just off Rice Bridge on the Suir side of Dock Road.
“Waterford Council has thus far demonstrated little concern for local residents at every stage of the North Quays development,” stated the resident in his submission.
“Sion Row residents in particular have endured a near constant and unacceptable level of noise, negative impacts on the structural integrity of our homes, even restrictions on access to our homes, which for an extended period required negotiating a series of padlocked gates, and confiscation of an adjacent parking lot.”
The resident continued: “I urge Council to change course before similarly subjecting up to a thousand new North Quays residents to such second class status”.
“The present application fails to address actual housing needs and would tend to ghettoize North Quays housing rather than integrate it into the Waterford City Centre community. A desire to squeeze yet more profit from the housing development is not a valid consideration, especially for a company, Harcourt, that already enjoys the benefits of substantial public investments including roads, bridge, transport hub, water and sewer, flood control and more – and boasts profits of €156.82m in the past year alone,” the resident added.
A planning decision on the updated North Quay’s proposal is expected by Waterford Council by 2 April, 2026.
More for less
In July 2025 the government published new guidelines changing apartment standards to allow for more apartments to be delivered at less cost. Significantly for the North Quays, these new standards are understood to apply to developments which had already been awarded planning permission.
Some of the key changes include having no restriction in the proportion of one-bed apartments, allowing new apartments to be smaller, and a reduction in the amount of apartments that need to be ‘dual aspect’, which Dublin Council define as having an opening window on two external walls.
According to the government publication these guidelines will help address the housing crisis, guarantee apartments meet high standards, and provide for a high quality of life.
At the time of the changes, the Irish Planning Institute (IPI), said there was considerable “disquiet” among planners regarding the reforms.
The President of the IPI, Gavin Lawlor, voiced serious concerns saying that the changes could cause more legal unpredictability, as he suggested these changes were not made in consultation with professional planners and could have unintended outcomes.
“Professional planners not only recognise the gravity of the housing crisis — we are actively working to be part of the solution. We welcome meaningful, evidence-based reforms that support the accelerated, coordinated, and sustainable delivery of apartments and homes in communities across the country.
“While we all share the Minister’s priorities of bringing development costs down and accelerating housing delivery, we are not convinced that the announced changes will achieve what’s intended.
“In particular, the erosion of unit mix requirements represents a market-led approach to housing that is fundamentally at odds with the significant work undertaken by the Department of Housing to date to create a plan-led system with high quality, long term sustainable outcomes flowing from transparently and democratically adopted local development plans.
“This, and allowing changes to already permitted developments, also risks introducing more legal unpredictability.
“Our members understand the motivation to make unviable housing projects deliverable, however our members are deeply concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the Minister’s actions.
“Simply presenting these revised guidelines and the legislation as a ‘fait accompli’ is regrettable, and it has caused significant disquiet among members of the Irish Planning Institute. Professional planners are as always available to work with the Minister and his officials to deliver sustainable housing and we will work with them to mitigate any unintended consequences of the announced changes.”
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
