The Project:

Compulsory Purchase Order

Following the identification of the Preferred Route, the preparation of the CPO maps, schedules etc was carried out by the Regional Design Office based at Tramore House.

The preferred route/CPO map corridor identified a total of 277 ha or 685 acres of land to be acquired from 210 land/property owners. Despite the overall length of the scheme, 23 kms of dual carriageway and 10 kms of other roads, the careful route selection process resulted in the final acquisition of only 8 houses.

Following the publication of the Compulsory Purchase Order in March 2001 and as a result of the objections received, the CPO application resulted in an Oral Hearing being conducted by An Bord Pleanála.

In October 2002, An Bord Pleanála issued an order granting approval to the Compulsory Purchase Order (No. 1) 2001 for the N25 Waterford Bypass Scheme. However due to the discovery of a previously unrecorded archaeological site at Woodstown, Co. Waterford, an approximate 3.5 km portion of the N25 Waterford Bypass route was required to be realigned for the Woodstown, Killoteran area of County Waterford.

In May 2005, under Section 14A(4)(d) National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended) the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government issued directions to Waterford City Council requiring the protection of the Viking site at Woodstown on the route of the proposed Waterford City Bypass.

A route selection report, published in October 2005, selected a preferred route. In January 2006, An Bord Pleanála, having considered the Route Selection Report, determined that an EIS should be prepared in relation to the change to the approved road development.

Accordingly, both CPO and EIS were published in June 2006. Following the receipt of objections/submissions, An Bord Pleanála convened an Oral Hearing in October 2006.

In February 2007, approval was granted by An Bord Pleanála to the CPO and EIS for the alternate or re-aligned route of the Bypass.

Further objections, by way of a Judicial Review Application, were made in March 2007.

In June 2007, all objections were removed from the scheme.