Connacht Tribune
Cap on one-off homes rejected
A plan to cap the number of planning permissions granted for one-off rural houses in County Galway over the next six years has been flatly rejected by county councillors.
Instead, members from across the political divide spoke to oppose a recommendation to limit one-off rural houses to a precise total of 911 for the duration of the County Development Plan 2022-28.
Galway County Council receives more than 2,000 planning applications annually – and it is understood that more than half of these are for single dwellings.
That, according to Cllr Joe Byrne (FG), would mean the Council’s recommended cap on rural one-off houses would be exhausted after just the first year of the County Development Plan.
He described it as anti-rural and said it would certainly not satisfy the demand there is for individuals and young couples who want to build a house on family-owned land.
A motion that the number of 911 relating to one-off housing be disregarded from the plan was passed.
The motion, which was supported by Cllr Tom Welby (Ind) and Cllr Mary Hoade (FF) stated that it was not in compliance with the National Planning Framework objectives.
It is Cllr Byrne’s understanding that the Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) confirms a requirement of 626 one-off houses on an annual basis and this equates for 3,140 dwellings over the course of the development plan period.
But the Council’s Director of Services for Planning, Valerie Loughnane, explained that the figure recommended in the plan was based on the best advice available to the Council.
She urged that a ceiling be put on the number of one-off houses for which planning permission is granted.
Cllr Byrne responded to warn there would be a serious problem in rural areas if there was a limit put on the number of new houses.
Party colleague Cllr Jimmy McClearn referred to the recent completion of the County Development Plan in Meath where there was no limit.
He said that it can always be discussed during a mid-term review of the plan, and he could not see any justification on limiting the number of rural houses that are built.
Fianna Fail’s Cllr Michael Connolly said that there seemed to be some apprehension within the Council executive when it came to encouraging people to live in rural areas as opposed to residing in local towns.
“We have rural GAA clubs that are decimated by declining numbers in their areas and have no choice but to amalgamate with neighbouring parishes,” he said.
“This is all down to the difficulty being experienced by people who want to live in rural parts of the county where they were brought up,” Cllr Connolly added.
Cllr David Collins (FG) joined the debate by saying that it would be grossly unfair on the 912th applicant for a rural dwelling if the Council’s recommendation was taken on board.
He said that it would equate to around 30 planning permissions being granted in each of the five Municipal Districts during the lifetime of the County Development Plan which he could not support.
“It would be eaten up in no time. It would be like telling some applicants that they can reside in rural areas, but the rest have no choice but to move into towns,” Cllr Collins remarked.
Cllr Seamus Walsh (FF) said that it would be the equivalent of telling someone that they have been refused planning permission on a technicality.
“Putting a limit on the number of planning permissions granted is ridiculous. Peoples’ individual needs have to be given priority above everything else,” Cllr Walsh added.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
