Council urged to appoint co-ordinator for outdoor events

A call has been made for the local authority to appoint an official Events Co-ordinator for Galway City – who would oversee all outdoor activities on publicly-owned lands.

Councillor Padraig Conneely said that a dedicated department in the Council would ensure the city no longer approves “piecemeal proposals”.

He said that applications for events in Galway currently operate on the basis of “make it up as you go along”.

“The week before last, we had the Food on the Edge Festival at Waterside and the Comedy Festival in Eyre Square, which left a lot to be desired with regard to planning and visual impact – in fact, one could even say they were tacky.

“Events happen from one end of the year to the other in the city, and I’m fully supportive of them, because they create jobs, attract tourists and generate revenue for the local economy.

“But there are some which don’t seem to be very well thought-out, and have no respect for the area they’re in.

“The City Council must set up a dedicated Events Department to advise and plan for city outdoor events – currently the only plan that applies in ‘pick your spot of public space and everything will be alright on the day’.

“The current free-for-all policy for outdoor events must comply with stringent controls in the interest of the public, local residents and communities.

“A lot of people don’t seem to know anything at all about some events until they see structures going up – even when they live locally.

“You can’t just ride roughshod over residents. An Events Co-ordinator would be the one point of contact in the Council who would be responsible for approving or rejecting applications, and ensuring everything is done correctly and in an organised manner,” said Cllr Conneely.

He added that such a position already exists in Waterford City Council, and it is working successfully.