Controversial new road removed from city plan

Date Published: 29-Jan-2010

A SPECIFIC reference to the proposed construction of a controversial new road through a city park has been taken out of Galway’s planning ‘bible’, while attempts to insert a specific reference to a GLUAS or light rail network in the City Development Plan for the next five years have also been thwarted.

The original Draft Galway City Development Plan 2011-2017 contained a pledge to construct an access road linking the Dyke Road and the N6, but this was deleted after objections by city councillors at Thursday night’s meeting.

The planned new road has been criticised and resisted by local residents and community groups because it would cut through the ‘lungs of the city’, Terryland Forest Park.

A proposal to delete the specific reference to the new road in the five year plan was made by Labour Councillor Derek Nolan, who said the merits of a road could be debated at another time and in another context.

He was supported by Independent councillor Catherine Connolly, who slammed City Hall officials for ploughing ahead with plans for the road despite receiving a petition with around 10,000 signatures opposing it. “Why do you continue to ignore the public?” she asked.

Director of Services for Planning, Tom Connell, argued that the reference to the road should remain in the plan because “this linkage is promoted by the Galway Transportation Unit as critical to future traffic management on the road network”.

He said the Council is seeking to put the road into the draft plan so as to spark public debate and invite submissions from the public on it. But despite Mr Connell’s pleas, 13 councillors voted to delete the road from the draft plan with only Fianna Fáil’s Mike Crowe voting against the proposal and his party colleague and brother, Ollie, abstaining.

Meanwhile, proposals by Labour’s Neil McNelis and Fine Gael’s Hildergarde Naughton that made specific reference to an integrated light rail or GLUAS system were not agreed.

The draft plan includes reference to a Rapid Transit Route running from Ballyburke in the west to Ardaun in the east, via the city centre. Planners argued that putting in a specific reference to light rail would be prejudging the outcome of a study, which is due to be published shortly, into the best suitable form of transport (rapid bus or light rail) for Rapid Transit Route.

Cllr Naughton withdrew her motion after getting assurances that the study would come before a full Council meeting when it is published. Cllr McNelis’s proposal was defeated.

For more on the draft City Development Plan see page 11of this week’s City Tribune 

See also

Page 1 – Concern over plans to close city streets to cars

Page 13 – Head Shops and Casinos to be controlled

Page 2 – Council to implement Taxi agreement