Planned new harbour could take 10 years

Date Published: 21-Aug-2009

GALWAY Harbour Company has pledged that plans to reclaim almost 5,000 square metres of sea at the Harbour Enterprise Park are not part of a “piecemeal” development of the new Docks.

However, they admitted it could be up to 10 years before the ‘New Harbour’ is developed. In response to queries from city planners over an application to move steel and coal berths and unloading facilities to a dedicated part of the Enterprise Park at Renmore, the Harbour Company said the plans will eliminate a nuisance for residents in the Docks area.

The application is for the relocation of the scrap steel berth and coal berth from the inner docks and the reclamation of 4,910 square metres of land from the sea to extend the Enterprise Park.

It will also involve the construction of a concrete slab of more than 7,000sqm for cranes and heavy goods vehicles, and the construction of 176 linear metres of rock armour. However, officials stressed the moves are part of a short-term solution to give the Docks area a makeover until the full plans to develop the ‘New Docks’ are drawn up and approved.

“It is under no circumstances the development of the New Galway Harbour Port in a piecemeal fashion,” they said.

According to the application: “Draft proposals are progressing to develop a Deepwater Harbour and back-up lands to the south of the existing Harbour Enterprise Park. The New Harbour will incorporate a site for the permanent relocation of the now proposed scrap steel berth and the proposed coal berthing.

“Such planning permission and consequent development will require some time i.e. in the order of five to ten years. The site detailed in [this] application will revert back to yard use upon the development of the Deepwater Harbour.

“The proposed development involves the…
See also ‘Harbour Company to review clamping’ on page 2 of this week’s City Tribune