New plan prioritises need for public spaces and green areas

Galway City’s micro-spaces should be filled with benches, play equipment and trees instead of cars, while the likes of the Small Crane could be transformed with a covered performance area, a new report has found.

In an early draft of the Galway City Centre Public Realm Strategy prepared by UK urban planners Allies and Morrison, the consultants recommend redressing the balance between cars and pedestrians on streets such as Abbeygate Street, allowing those not in vehicles to have shared access.

Public interviews carried out by the consultants among 300 people found that 14 per cent favoured improving footpaths and giving greater precedence to pedestrians while 13 per cent believed there should be more trees, plants and wildlife in the urban environment. Some seven per cent wanted a reduction in cars.

Laura Dodds told councillors that the new pavement through the central spine should be simple and decluttered to allow the stone buildings to shine through.

One of the biggest opportunities to improve the city’s public realm was transforming Dock Road. Instead of railings and continuous parking, there would be a harbourside boulevard with a space for bands and theatre performances.

At the Small Crane in ‘the West’, car spaces should be taken over by a rain garden and a new public theatre where people could watch plays and acts under cover.

The strategy would recommend what materials, street furniture, bins and bollards should be used, to ensure consistency across the streetscape.

Using micro-spaces between buildings and roads had the potential to completely overhaul the feel of the city, according to the report. These spaces could accommodate benches, trees, plants and play equipment.

Independent Councillor Mike Cubbard said the Council should not be hypocritical when it came to implementing this strategy. He pointed out that it was proposing to build houses in green spaces in Local Authority estates, yet here were consultants who were calling for more green spaces. The draft strategy urged pedestrian-crossings to be improved, yet when councillors wanted a pedestrian crossing on the Browne Roundabout officials would not contemplate it.

Cllr Billy Cameron (Lab) said the canals were encouraging an influx of wildlife such as otters and bats and he was proud of the work done to rejuvenate them.

Cllr Frank Fahy (FG) said whatever material was chosen for the pedestrianised zone, it should take into account people with mobility issues. Pushing a wheelchair down Shop Street and over footpaths was a very unpleasant experience, he remarked.

Residents in the Small Crane had objected to removing the nine car spaces in their square before, so it was doubtful they would welcome this similar proposal, Cllr Donal Lyons (Ind) pointed out. The Council also did not own the harbour so they could not stipulate the creation of a boulevard.

Several councillors queried what funding would be available to transform the strategy into reality.

Director of Services for Transportation, Planning and Physical Development, Ruth McNally said the strategy did not have its own funding but would feed into everything the city did to bring a consistency to the public realm.

“It’s very much a guidance document. It will apply to the public as well as ourselves. There are funding sources that can be tapped into,” she stated.

A further consultation would take place during a public exhibition later this year before manuals would be produced governing design, activities and delivery.