Waterford City and County Council shortlisted for four LAMA All-Ireland Community and Council Awards
Waterford City and County Council will be represented in four categories of the Local Authority Member Association (LAMA) awards which take place in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre next month.
Celebrating 20 years, the LAMA awards shine a spotlight on collaboration between communities and local authorities and provide a national platform to showcase outstanding local initiatives that enrich and strengthen our communities.
In the Best Housing Regeneration and Urban Planning Category, the refurbishment of 29 The Glen is shortlisted. The refurbishment was completed as part of Waterford City and County Council’s ongoing response to dereliction and vacancy within the city. The four quality one-bedroom apartments were allocated to tenants from the Council’s social housing list and as such have helped to ensure the continued support of residential amenity in the local area.
In the Best Enterprise and Start-Up Hub category, Kinetic Labs has been shortlisted. Kinetic Labs is an innovative, purpose-built science and technology hub located in the heart of Waterford, designed to support early-stage and scaling enterprises operating in the life sciences, med-tech, bio-tech, pharma, and high-value manufacturing sectors. Established to address a critical gap in the South-East region, Kinetic Labs provides high spec laboratories and tailored business support for scientific and technical start-ups that traditionally face significant barriers to entry due to the high cost of lab facilities, compliance requirements, and specialised equipment.
The Environment Department has been recognised in two categories. The Ballybricken Transport eHub is shortlisted in the Best Community Transport Initiative. The eHub site allows people to select the most suitable mode of transport for their needs, aiming to provide a range of shared public travel options. By providing alternative solutions, it encourages people to try different mobility options when travelling to work or getting around the city.
The purpose built eHub sites includes an ESB charge station to charge the shared EVs, as well as one e-cargo bike and four e-bikes.
In the Best Green Sustainable Initiative category, the Council’s Business Pledge for a Cleaner, Greener Waterford has been shortlisted. In 2025, the fourth year of the initiative, local businesses were invited to take the Business Pledge to strive towards a cleaner, greener Waterford, and commit to completing at least two actions over 12 months to reduce the carbon footprint of their business and avail of a 9% discount on their commercial rates bill.
Commenting on the shortlist, Sean McKeown, Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council said, “I would like to congratulate all the Council staff and teams behind the shortlisted projects. From housing and environmental initiatives to economic development, these projects demonstrate Waterford City and County Council’s forward-thinking approach to tackling some of our most important challenges.
“Initiatives such as the LAMA awards not only give us and the other 30 local authorities the opportunity to showcase our work, but also to work collaboratively with others and share best practice.”
The LAMA All-Ireland Community and Council Awards 2026 will celebrate 20 years of the awards and 40 years of the LAMA Executive, and take place in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on February 28th, 2026.
