City Centre extension plans are put on ice

Date Published: 28-Apr-2011

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

A major plan to rejuvenate the Headford Road and surrounding areas – which includes a new road link with the Dyke Road – has been put on the long finger by the local authority, the Galway City Tribune has learned.

The City Council’s Director of Services for Planning Tom Connell has admitted that delivering the Local Area Plan (LAP) is now “long term” because of the economic downturn and decimation of the Council’s revenues.

Private consultants were hired by the Council in early 2008 to come up with a ‘Framework Plan’ that would provide a vision for the area – including Headford Road, Quincentenary Bridge, Dyke Road, Seán Mulvoy Road, Bóthar na mBan, St Bridget’s Terrace, Galway Retail Park and Galway Shopping Centre – and provide an extension to the city centre.

It was later decided by the local authority to devise a LAP instead of the Framework Plan.

But Tom Connell has now revealed the ‘long-term’ status of the Headford Road LAP as he over-ruled a senior planning official’s recommendation that permission be refused for a new four-storey building beside the Omniplex.

“Having regard to the current economic climate, the delivery of the draft Local Area Plan objectives are long term,” Mr Connell said in a memo to Executive Planner Eilis McCullough.

Michael Barry of Almane Properties – which owns the Galway Retail Park – applied for permission to build a new 2,355 square metre development on the disused site adjacent to the Omniplex, which will include ground floor retail space, first floor offices and 4 two-bed.

Ms McCullough recommended the latest application be rejected on the grounds the area is earmarked for significant change through the LAP.

However, the next day, she was over-ruled by Mr Connell who said the proposed use for the land is in line with the LAP and will be a catalyst for future uses.

“Having regard to the current economic climate, the delivery of the draft LAP objectives are long term, the current proposal gives potential for early delivery of objectives,” he said.

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