Blueprint outlines future for growth of Tuam

The final draft of the Tuam Local Area Plan – a strategy document which dictates how the town can grow over the next six years – is set to go on public display.

A local councillor said the town is “on the up”, and the new plan will help to build momentum.

At a local authority meeting, councillors discussed at length the 36 submissions made by members of the public, sporting organisations, landowners, developers as well as statutory agencies such as the Department of Housing, Planning; Department of Education; Department of Culture & Heritage; the Environmental Protection Agency and Irish Water

A series of changes were made to the draft plan by Tuam area councillors, while recommendations of the Council’s Chief Executive, Kevin Kelly, were rejected in a number of instances.

Those changes must now go on public display, before it comes back before the entire council for a vote.

Concerns about zoning land susceptible to flooding for residential use were raised by councillor Shaun Cunniffe and Jim Cuddy.

However, Senior Planner Valerie Loughnane Moran said that any planning application would have to be accompanied by a Flood Risk Assessment – if that assessment said the land would be likely to flood, planners would have no option but to make a recommendation that permission be refused.

A submission from JFC Manufacturing noted a parcel of land measuring 3.5 hectares which the company has identified for medium-term expansion. The company requested that zoning for industrial use be permitted as it regarded it as key to the future expansion proposals, especially to use as storage.

However, the Chief Executive’s response was that it would not be appropriate due it being within a Flood Zone.

Cllr Tom McHugh said JFC is one of the flagship industries in Tuam, 30 years in business and employing 250 people. He said the company produced 1,100 different items, including hard plastic piping, and this land would be used for storage of piping. He proposed that the zoning be changed, which was backed by Cllr Shaun Cunniffe, who said the Council needed to be “flexible and sensible” in such matters.

It was agreed to amend the zoning.

Cllr Donogh Killilea thanked the staff of the Planning Department for the huge amount of work put into the Local Area Plan.

“Things are looking good for the Town and we want to build momentum. Since the opening of the bypass, the new motorway and now the health campus, it had all created a new sort of primacy in the town. Tuam is on the up,” he said.

Cllr Tom McHugh said he felt deeply frustrated and annoyed by the Local Area Plan process, which involved a lot of red tape which did not really achieve anything.

The final draft of the LAP is now being prepared and will then go on public display.