200-bed city centre hostel plan appealed

The refusal to grant planning for a massive 200-bed hostel in the city centre has now become the subject of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

If planning had been granted, it would have become by far the biggest hostel in Galway city. However, there was strenuous opposition to it locally.

Local residents along with a charity that deals with homeless people were opposed to the plan by Connacht Accommodation Limited which is run by two local business people.

City planners rejected a proposal to convert the former Anglo Irish Bank offices in the city to a 200-bed hostel – ruling it would depreciate the value of nearby residential properties.

One objector claimed it would lead to anti-social behaviour, vandalism and vermin.

Permission was sought last November by the new owners for a change of use of the ground, first and second floors at the former financial services building on the corner of Forster Street and Bothar Uí Eithir.

Shay Livingstone and Johnathan Duggan, who already run the Connacht Hotel and An Púcán, also sought permission for a ground floor recreational space, which includes a pool table and coffee dock.

However, planners rejected the application, ruling it would seriously injure residential amenities in the area and that it would pose a traffic hazard.

Planners said that the proposed development would depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity by reason of over-intensification of commercial use on site.

They said that the applicant had failed to demonstrate the traffic and transport effects the proposed development would have on the public transport network in the vicinity.

According to planners, it was considered that the proposal would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and obstruction of road users. They added that signage on the third storey of the Forster Street side would be visually obtrusive.

Opposition to the development came from COPE Galway who said that it could impact on the proposed new domestic violence refuge at the adjacent former Magdalen Laundry.

CEO Jacquie Horan said the main entrance could be used as a loitering area for hostel residents and there was no evidence of provision of a smoking area. She also voiced concerns about overlooking and noise pollution.

The directors of the Forster Place residential development also had serious concerns.

“A hostel of this size may result in anti-social behaviour by its patrons which will affect residents’ quiet enjoyment of their property and may result in vandalism of the development,” they said.

A decision on the planning appeal will be known around the middle of June.