€200 million port plan to be unveiled

‘Fast-track’ plans for the redevelopment of Galway Port – at a cost of almost €200 million – are being delivered to An Bórd Pleanála this morning.

Funding for Phase 1 of the development – which will cost €51.6m – will be raised through private investors (likely to be from the Middle East), bank borrowing, Exchequer funding and selling off non-core property.

The Galway City Tribune can reveal that a comprehensive planning application – which runs to around 4,000 pages – is being submitted to the offices of An Bórd Pleanála today, and following technical checks, will be formally lodged on January 20.

And Galway Harbour Company hopes that the first ships will be docking at the new outer port in the first quarter of 2018.

CEO Eamonn Bradshaw said he is confident that the funding required for the first phase of the development can be raised.

It is the first time a planning application has ever been made in Ireland under the IROPI process (Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest) – an economic consultants’ report included with the application argues that the new port will be of huge economic benefit to the region and country as a whole, and will create jobs.

The Harbour Company will argue that the benefits of this outweigh the impact it would have on the ecology of the site at the inner Galway Bay.

Phase 1 of the overall €200 million project is valued at €51.6m – it involves relocating the existing ‘docks’ to an outer port – this will allow for the rejuvenation of the Inner Port and the creation of a new ‘Cultural Quarter’ for the city.

The first phase will also allow for a rail link to accommodate freight and the construction of a quay for the inshore fishing fleet.

A decision on the application is expected in around 12 months’ time and if approved, would take three years to complete.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.