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Oral hearing told 100 million euro docks development would ease Galway’s housing crisis
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The oral hearing into a proposed 100 million euro development at Galway docks has been told that the project will help to ease Galway’s housing crisis.
The hearing is taking place at the Clayton Hotel this week after a number of appeals were lodged with An Bord Pleanala after the City Council’s decision to give the project the green light.
This afternoon, the An Bord Pleanála hearing at the Clayton Hotel has been told that the disputed office and mixed use development needs to be considered as part of a wider framework which includes a separate application for a major student accommodation development.
The developer has told An Bord Pleanala Inspector Brid Maxwell that the 30% requirement for residential accommodation is fulfilled when the two applications are viewed as part of an overall framework for the Bonham Quay site.
Bonham Dock Ltd says this would ease Galway’s housing crisis by freeing up rental accommodation across the city.
During an opening presentation at today’s hearing, An Bord Pleanala has heard that the project would be akin to Dublin’s IFSC.
Representatives for Bonham Docks Ltd have said the project would result in the regeneration of a derelict, brownfield site which hasn’t been used in years and could be opened up to the public, and to major investment opportunities by addressing Galway’s shortage of office space.
The hearing has also today heard that public transport users and cyclists will be prioritised over private cars to minimise the traffic impact.
The mixed use development, which will include four 7 and 8 storey office blocks, would have a commuter centre and around 3 times more bike parking than car parking.
The developer Bonham Dock Ltd says it’s following trends in other cities, where employees are becoming more likely to request showers and bike parking than a car parking space.
Day one of the hearing today has been dominated by evidence from the developer’s representatives.
Tomorrow, it’ll likely focus on the appellants, who’ve raised a variety of concerns about the Bonham Quay plans.
The oral hearing will resume at the Clayton Hotel at 10 tomorrow morning.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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