Council concern new ‘town’ would leapfrog existing zoned lands

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Planners with Galway City Council have told the backers of a proposed new ‘town’ off the Tuam Road that the plans would involve the ‘leapfrogging’ of existing residentially-zoned lands in the city.

They have sent the developers back to the drawing board on the plans for what had been described as “probably the biggest construction project” that Galway City has ever seen.

The local authority said that 309 apartments and a 150-bed hotel and 72 apart-hotel suites would equate to more than 56% of the overall development on the 19-acre site at City North Business Park, which could interfere with the ‘CI’ (commercial and industrial) zoning there.

Planners have also raised a series of concerns about overlooking; noise; open space; fire safety; parking; lack of public transport and the viability of an apart-hotel at the location.

The developers were told to submit a revised proposals which adhered to national, regional and local planning policy and the zoning objective for the site, and did not interfere with the primary CI use of the lands.

It was noted that the residential elements had been front-loaded in the construction plan, which was contrary to the zoning objective and with the residential development strategy of the Galway City Development Plan. There were also concerns about overlooking of open spaces.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story and details of the only objection lodged, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.