Ardaun Development In The Spotlight

Date Published: 28-Aug-2008

HEATED debate between Galway City Council and Galway County Council over the development of the proposed Ardaun Corridor has resulted in Galway County Mayor, Peter Feeney, arguing for a delay in any decision being made about the new development until the end of 2009.

“At the end of 2009 vital transport infrastructure will be in place. This will fundamentally change people’s attitudes to where they can, and want to live,” he said.

The Mayor believes that after 2009 people will prefer to live in rural towns and commute into the city for work. Galway City Council is anxious to get Ardaun Corridor concept underway. It is fully behind a planned approach to the development of the town that is community driven, as apposed to developer driven.

“Galway Gateway anticipates an increase of up to 40,000 by 2020. The populationtarget for Ardaun and the surrounding area is between 18,000 and 21,000. Even if people choose to move to rural towns in Galway there will still be in the future an increase of population within the city,” says Tom Connell, Director of Planning, for Galway City Council.

The two councils being at loggerheads is causing community leaders within the already established Doughiska Roscam and Ardaun parish to voice concerns that further delays in Ardaun Corridor will result in a social disaster for…