Ferrybank Shopping Complex

Bards

From the Kilkenny Poeple - http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2594&ArticleID=3138150
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800 new jobs for South Kilkenny
EIGHT HUNDRED new jobs will be created in South Kilkenny over the next 12 months in a massive multi-million development.
The jobs which will be mainly in retail will be created when the state-of-the-art mixed-use centre in Ferrybank opens in September 2008.
Four hundred workers are employed on site during the construction period.
Kilkenny city man Derry McPhilips is behind the ambitious project which will also generate E2 million in development charges for Kilkenny County Council.
This money will be ringfenced and used to improve services across the county.The mixed retail centre will provide the people of South Kilkenny with their own urban centre.
From autumn 2008 shoppers from places like Slieverue, Piltown, Mooncoin, Mullinavat and Glenmore will have the option of staying on the Kilkenny side of the River Suir to do their weekly supermarket shopping.It has been confirmed that Dunnes Stores will be the anchor tenant in the E120 million centre.
The complex includes over 20 shop units, a health and beauty court, food court, medical centre, gym, retail warehousing and office space. A car sales outlet, drop-in childcare facility and offices will be built in a second building. There are also plans in the pipeline to add a cinema multiplex and a public library to the development.
Part of the plans include the construction of a rooftop work village.
"This will be built on the rooftop and will centre around an external courtyard. There will be own door offices and an anchor office unit," Mr McPhillips said.
"We have deliberately separated the work and retail space and there will also be car spaces available to office workers," he added.
Planning permission for the development was granted by Kilkenny County Council in August 2006.
Objections to the plans were also lodged by Waterford City Council, Carrick on Suir Town Council, a residents association in Belfield, discount food chain Lidl and local man John Mullally.
The site was bought by Deerland Construction in 2000.
"We will be expanding the centre in the next few years but we will be working in tandem with the county development plans and we will be working within the template of the 2008 plan," Mr McPhilips said.
Ferrybank currently has a population of 4,000 but this is expected to increase to 20,000 in the next eight years.
"Ferrybank will become the second biggest town in Kilkenny."We are in there first providing a centre on a sufficient scale to meet the needs of this emerging urban population.
"Ferrybank will be a mixed-use development with a gym and a medical centre. There will also be plenty of good food on offer and we hope to build a cineplex and have a hotel and a bar.
"There is clearly a demand for this type of development in Ferrybank. At the moment people have to get into their cars and drive to Waterford to avail of these services," he said.
• For more see page 1 of the Property section.




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I like the bit about the fact that the money will be ringfenced and spent elsewhere in the County. I.E not a penny will find it's way into the Ferrybank area

so much for this only being a neighbourhood centre when they now intend to draw customers from a 25 mile radius

Second largest town in Kilkenny... in reality a suburb of Watertford City are they finally ackowledging that Kilkenny is a TOWN and not a City

Jor

Has anyone seen the size of this new centre. From the amount of land being developed, it looks much bigger than City Square. Its not going to be satisfied with getting business from Mullinavat, Slieverue and Piltown. It will be fighting for Waterford City shoppers.

JPA

"There is clearly a demand for this type of development in Ferrybank. At the moment people have to get into their cars and drive to Waterford to avail of these services," he said.

The King of Spin must have wrote this article! You'd think Waterford was 20 miles away with a comment like that.

trishw78

[rant] Alot of people in Ferrybank dread the idea of going into Waterford to do there shopping. with traffic jams on the Ferrybank side you eventually get in and have to find parking when you do it's at an extorsionate price even if your only parking for 30 mins to run in and out of a shop for fear of the blue soilder comming along and slapping a €40 fine on your car. Exactly which shops in town still sell the parking tickets. Then you have to head back across the bridge and your probably going to be stuck in traffic again at the Waterford side of the bridge playing Russian Roulette with the arttic truck beside you cause he doesn't know where he's going 'cause he's foreign and doesn't know what lane he should be in.

As for the comment about the Money being spent elsewhere in the county that just takes the biscult. [end rant]

BBM77

They are assuming a lot of things here. How do they know the Ferrybank centre is going to be popular? People from south Kilkenny might prefer to come into the city centre. Kilkenny co co may be after scoring an own goal here. People who go into Kilkenny shopping might go to Ferrybank instead. Kilkenny co co should apply to the Dept of the Environment to get the Kilkenny part of Ferrybank reclassified as a town, I can hear the dept laughing there ass of now. I wonder sometimes if Kilkenny people live in the real world atoll.

Also, I am tired hearing of the Kilkenny side of the bridge and the Waterford side of the bridge. Both sides of the bridge are Waterford, city boundary is not on the river at the bridge it is up at Jurys.

teckno

The city boundary in fact stops at the Boys Primary School which is directly opposite the new shopping complex. I am from Ferrybank but I am a Waterford man, and this article is really sickening, for years Kilkenny COCO have ignored Ferrybank and now because of the threat of the boundary extension they now realise that they need to do something in the area.

The shopping centre is going to basically be the MAIN shopping centre of Waterford City and South Kilkenny in my opinion, as it is going to wipe the floor with any centre in the City such as City Square. The investment is badly needed and I am glad that the shopping centre is going ahead but the cheek of the Kilkenny paper. Ferrybank belongs to Waterford and that's that, thats obvious from the amount of waterford flags outside windows during the hurling run!!

lassykk

Also, I am tired hearing of the Kilkenny side of the bridge and the Waterford side of the bridge. Both sides of the bridge are Waterford, city boundary is not on the river at the bridge it is up at Jurys.

yeah well im tired of hearing that the port being called waterford port when its clearly in kilkenny.

also i just wish they'd sort out the border issue once and for all... i will never consider myself from waterford no matter where the boundary is moved to but im sick of having to put up with the disgraceful surface on the roads between the old boundary and the proposed new boundary. If we get city services bring the boundary wherever ye want.

mike65

Meh. I can't get excited by the outrage here! The development is in the KK area so rate revenues should go to KK CoCo. Where else would they go?

I'm also glad that if 20,000 more people are going to be living in the greater Waterford area (;) ) that they will be north of the river not south. Its the KK side that needs development. the 800 jobs will of course not just be for south Kilkenny, many will be taken by Deise folk. I dunno how much the development will impact on Kikenny town, right now only the foolhardy would schlep up the N9 to shop.

As for Ferrybank - the town. Well thats just amusing. A way of trying to thumb the nose at Waterford City.

Mike.

mike65

Quick question to people north of the river who live just beyond the border- does your address state Co Kilkenny or "via Waterford"?

Mike.

Mkl

I'm in ferrybank and it say says Waterford. no via

Bards

Next they'll be claiming that Ferrybank is "Ferrybank City" and thus trying to portray that Kilkenny has two cities and so should be the regional capital


just wait and see:mad:

Oh and just so we are clear here.. Kilkenny Co CO are not spending a single penny of Tax/rate Payers money here. It is all private money that is being spent. remember this when the use the argument that Kilkenny coco spen €60m providing amenities for the area

lassykk

it was never in doubt that kilkenny co co would be spending money on south kilkenny... they haven't done so in years why would they start now? the public services in south kilkenny are a disgrace

ferrybank will never be classed as a city... i don't personally think its anymore a town than the dunmore road is... its a suburb plain a simple of waterford even if parts are still officially in kilkenny.

as for postal address... if i put kilkenny on mail i get it a day later than if i put via waterford on it.

out of interest is the development officially in kk or not? i think the welcome to kilkenny sign (just past the boys school in ferrybank on the left as you go to new ross) would indicate that the shopping complex may be in the waterford boundary (or at least part there of) but why should KK co co get a penny of it when they won't fix the roads around there... whoever fixes the roads and provides better public services should have the rates.

Trotter

Wouldnt it be great if some crack special forces type road works department went across the border from Waterford into Kilkenny some night and fixed the road.. and when the good Kilkenny people woke to travel to Waterford to work, they'd all wonder what happened!!?

No doubt KK county council would see what Waterford had done.. and would attempt to dig it up or drive tanks on it. BUT.. Waterford city council could easily turn it around and say.. it had to be done and it was effecting the productivity of the city..

A bit like when the next door neighbour leaves sh!te around their wheely bin and ya sneak over when nobody's looking and put it in their bin to keep the general area tidy. Allegedly.



I'd love it... WHO the FEK is after FIXING that ROAD!?! People are going to find it easy to get to Waterford now!!

I bet it was them bstrds on that side of the bridge.



Disclaimer.. The above may be sarcasm and I may not agree with any of it. Trotter is an equal rights poster.

lassykk

yeah i meant the section of road that is between the current boundary (in ferrybank) and the proposed new (encompassing part of slieverue & kilmacow)... the rest of the roads are the responsibility of KK co co but the section in between this boundary zone has been completely disregarded for the last year or so.

KK won't fix it because they won't spend money on a road that may soon be part of waterford and waterford obviously won't fix it before the border is moved if and when that happens

ive argued the point with KK co co that if they can't decide whose road it is to fix then i can't decide who to pay my extorsionist motor tax to considering i drive around 200 miles a week and 90% of them are on the stretch of road im talking about.

trishw78

The boundry goes as far as the Church hence half the graveyard being in Kilkenny and half in Waterford. I've lived in Ferrybank all my life, and we've always put Via waterford on our addresses. Does anyone know where the Waterford City Waste Water Treatment Plant is being built.

No

Well it is also in yes you guessed it Co. Kilkenny.

Sully

Eh if the Treatment Plant is serving Waterford City.. I dont see the problem calling it "Waterford City Waste Water Treatement Plant". In fariness, calling it "Kilkenny (Town :P) Waste Water Tratement Plant" would be wrong considering it doesnt serve KK...

Very amusing. I have to laugh at "Port of Waterford" being called that considering its located in KK, but I suppose since it was originaly in Waterford and it was just moved.. then I can kind of understand. Anyway, a lot of people call it "Belview Port".

Bards

Sully wrote:

Eh if the Treatment Plant is serving Waterford City.. I dont see the problem calling it "Waterford City Waste Water Treatement Plant". In fariness, calling it "Kilkenny (Town :P) Waste Water Tratement Plant" would be wrong considering it doesnt serve KK...

Very amusing. I have to laugh at "Port of Waterford" being called that considering its located in KK, but I suppose since it was originaly in Waterford and it was just moved.. then I can kind of understand. Anyway, a lot of people call it "Belview Port".

maybe becasue of this


"Port of Waterford Company

A limited liability company.

Registered in Ireland No. 299445"

from http://www.portofwaterford.com/contacts.aspx



anyway... sure didn't kilkenny annex Kilmeaden Ceese and mov it to Ballyragget... maybe they should rename it to Cat Cheese

Freddie59

lassykk wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Won't really matter very soon!:D Fair play to your comments on the boundary.

Freddie59

trishw78 wrote:

The boundry goes as far as the Church hence half the graveyard being in Kilkenny and half in Waterford. I've lived in Ferrybank all my life, and we've always put Via waterford on our addresses. Does anyone know where the Waterford City Waste Water Treatment Plant is being built.

No

Well it is also in yes you guessed it Co. Kilkenny.

Well there's so much $hite there already................:D

fricatus

Bards wrote:

anyway... sure didn't kilkenny annex Kilmeaden Ceese and mov it to Ballyragget... maybe they should rename it to Cat Cheese

ROFL

fricatus

Lads, who cares? The fact is, that now when you drive into Waterford from whatever direction, you've got big retail parks and road development no end. The place is finally beginning to look important. Pity we can't get the retail big-hitters into the city centre.

The KK People can put all the North Korea-style spin they like into the paper and wave as many black and amber flags as they want. The fact is that this shopping centre is in the greater Waterford area and so will be those 20,000 people.

Only two things do I find objectionable:

1. That the rates from this development will be spent all over KK, when they should be targeted at the areas between the city and Mooncoin, Mullinavat and Glenmore.

2. That the population statistics in this country are generally based on the city boundary and not on the urban area. Limerick suffers like mad with this problem, given that its population is quoted as 55,000 and smaller than Galway, whereas in reality the urban area has 90,000 people. This will be a bigger problem for Waterford in the future as more people move to Ferrybank and Tramore.

Paddy@CIRL

I live in Rockenham, the housing estate just up from the graveyard and near the site. I'd live in the row closest to the boys school and I most definitely live in Waterford. There must be inches between the two boundaries and surely that site sits straight on top of it !

fricatus

Bards wrote:

"Ferrybank will become the second biggest town in Kilkenny.

Half of Ferrybank, and all the village centre (AIB, shops, church) is within the city boundary, so they're claiming part of our city. Nice little double-standard from the paper that brought up references to that unsavoury little matter in eastern Europe that happened 70 years ago, when describing a local council boundary extension proposal.

As regards the population. Ferrybank is already technically the second-biggest urban centre in Co. Kilkenny, after the city. Check out the 2006 population statistics:

District no Name Population

004 Callan Rural 1,452
005 Callan Urban 1,351
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Callan total 2,803

026 Castlecomer 2,406

106 Kilculliheen (part): 3,489 (this is the area immediately bordering the city as far as I'm aware, including Abbey Park, Slieverue and the like)

tonc76

Not exactly conclusive but...

teckno

Its all screwed up to be honest.. basically abbeylands housing estate right behind the soccer pitch was developed by waterford cc,,, the soccer pitch Ferrybank AFC leased the land from waterford cc,however have to apply for planning permission and stuff like that to to kilkenny cc. Shopping centre is den deemed to be kilkenny land, actually sits on d border to be exact.

Back to the shopping centre though, i fear for the city to be honest, if a better option is available in fbank, people will not shop in volume to the city, especially for grocerys etc

Bards

teckno wrote:

Its all screwed up to be honest.. basically abbeylands housing estate right behind the soccer pitch was developed by waterford cc,,, the soccer pitch Ferrybank AFC leased the land from waterford cc,however have to apply for planning permission and stuff like that to to kilkenny cc. Shopping centre is den deemed to be kilkenny land, actually sits on d border to be exact.

Back to the shopping centre though, i fear for the city to be honest, if a better option is available in fbank, people will not shop in volume to the city, especially for grocerys etc

I have no problem with people doing grocery shopping in out of town developments. It is comparison and luxury goods that I have a problem with. This should be the sole remit of the City Centre and should not be available in out of town/City developments.


Waterford City Council have to bear some responsibility for the demise of the small independent retailer. They increase Rates year on year taking no account of the turnover of the retailer and ability to pay. This is turning our City Centre into a sameness as all the other cities in Ireland and the UK.

same shops and same shopfronts. They should be offering grants to those unique shops that want to stay here instead of doing a Dick Turpin Impression of Stand and deliver

Yes I am all for big shopping developments like the Brewary Centre to bring in increased footfall but I also want unique waterford shops like Knox's / Heines etc. that add character to the City

BBM77

teckno wrote:

......................... i fear for the city to be honest, if a better option is available in fbank, people will not shop in volume to the city, especially for grocerys etc

As much as I hate to say it, the future of Waterford city centre depends on KRM’s Michael St shopping centre. It really is frightening to think of what will happen if An Bord Pleanala refuses permission. A decision is due in November, but I doubt it will be given then, the Lisduggan shopping centres redevelopment was put of 3 or 4 times and Penny’s decision was due this month, I see now that it has been put of till October. Personally, I think that the planning system is a sham if the like’s of the rate collecting exercise that is the Ferrybank Shopping centre can get planning without going through An Bord Pleanala and a sustainable & sensible development like the Michaels St shopping centre basically has to be forced through after years of objections and red tape.:mad:

Bards

This is Kilkenny Advertiser's Spin on it
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Cllr believes Ferrybank can support new development
By John Cleary

South Kilkenny will receive an enormous employment boost with up to 800 new jobs in the next year as construction continues on the multi-million euro Ferrybank shopping centre.

The complex is a €120 million multi-purpose development which will feature a significant retail area with Dunnes Stores as its anchor tenant as well as office and apartment units and a medical centre.

And local Fianna Fáil Councillor Cora Long said the area has been calling out for a development of this sort and said it was only a pity it hadn't come sooner.

"I think it is an absolutely marvellous development for the area and for the people in Ferrybank and Slieverue," she said.

And Cllr Long said she had no fears over whether or not the community of Ferrybank would be able to support a development of this proportion.

"Ferrybank is a town in itself and it is expanding rapidly, it should have happened sooner but there were some objections.

"In the next five to ten years the population of this area will have increased significantly and it will be the second largest urban centre in the county.

"There are an awful lot of houses going up in the area at the moment and with the number of people living in the area it makes perfect sense to have a shopping centre like this.

"I think it's absolutely marvellous for the residents and I would fully support it.

"At the moment people have to go into Waterford to find these kinds of facilities and that means dealing with the whole traffic situation and parking which is an added hassle.

"And most importantly it will bring further employment which will be a huge boost to the area."

Developers, Deerland Construction, say up to 400 people are currently employed on the construction of the site and they expect the retail development to create up to 800 jobs in the area.

Dunnes Stores were confirmed as the anchor tenant for the new centre in June after it was reported they paid a record price to outbid retail rivals Tesco to secure ownership of the supermarket and homeware store.

The large development, which dwarfs some of the other shopping centres around Waterford city, will also house a further 16 retail units, a health and beauty centre, a food court and a gym and fitness centre.

Meanwhile a second proposed building will include a motor sales outlet, drop-in childcare facilities, a restaurant and 12 apartments.

Deerland Construction, whose Managing Director is Kilkenny man Derry McPhilips, have developed shopping centres in Kilkenny, Mullingar and Dundalk and construction is hoped to be complete by October next year.
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Why didn't Brendan McCann object to this as this is as unsustainable as they come, and more importantly why did Waterford CC not object to the second planning submission; unless they are going to use this argument in their bid for the City Boundary extension and point out that Kilkenny Co Co does not have the area's interest at heart becasue they allowed this monstrosity to be built which is not a neighbourhood centre, which at the time they argued that it was.

Paddy@CIRL

Who the feck is Cora Long and how is she our 'local' Councillor ?

Out of interest, does anyone have any links to drawings or renders of what its supposed to look like when finished ? At the moment it's fugly. Also don't like the fact that my brothers grave is now in the shadow of a shopping centre ...