Ceannt Station ‘masterplan’ must include housing

Any Masterplan redevelopment of the Ceannt Station area will have to include significant underground car parking as well as allowing for the growth of rail and bus services, the latest Draft City Development Plan outlines.

The close-on six hectare site (14.3 acres) – ranked as one of the premium sites available for development across the country – will have to have a strong residential element, according to the 2017-2023 Draft City Development Plan.

The ‘use mix’ of any proposed development will have to provide for a minimum residential content equivalent to 30% of the overall proposed floor area. 

A delivery of critical transport requirements will be a key element of any redevelopment plan with the Masterplan designed to ‘front load’ the transport elements of the project.

“There will be a requirement for any redevelopment to accommodate and front load a significantly upgraded transportation interchange with associated underground car parking,” the Draft Plan states.

Planners will also require a full analysis of future transport needs in the context of Galway’s role as a gateway city and a regional centre over the coming years and decades.

“This [the analysis] should demonstrate how the dedication of land on the site for commercial development will not inhibit future demand for intensification of rail/bus or any other likely forms of public transport,” the Plan states.

Another key element in the development of the site will be the provision of public access and ‘permeability’ to give linkage and views to Lough Atalia as well as the sea front.

Given the scale of the Ceannt Station site and its location, the Plan also points out that it will be a requirement of any redevelopment to provide for an arts/culture facility with a long-term management plan at the developer’s expense.

Any redevelopment scheme will have a phasing-in element, to ensure the delivery of public benefits – such as a public square/cultural facility – in tandem with the commercial aspects of the project.

In relation to the preparation of the proposed Masterplan, the City Draft Plan states that this will be the responsibility of the prime stakeholder, but involving a significant level of engagement with the public, the planning authority, adjoining landowners and other stakeholders.