Plans lodged for 165 new homes on west side of Galway City

Separate plans have been drawn up for the construction of 165 new homes on two adjoining sites on the western side of the city.

An application has been submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála for a €27 million development which involves the construction of 101 new homes – 46 houses and 55 apartments – on a 6.4-acre site at Letteragh opposite the Sliabh Ríoga development.

Separately, an application has been lodged with Galway City Council to develop 25 houses and 39 apartments on an adjoining site.

Burkeway Homes has lodged the application for the 101 homes under Strategic Housing Development legislation, which is designed to expedite the planning process for larger housing proposals.

The houses will be a mixture of three and four-bed terraced; three and four-bed semi-detached and four-bed detached houses, as well as one, two and three-bed apartments.

The development also includes a childcare facility with four playrooms and space for 42 children, as well as an indoor tenant facility and parking for 170 cars.

Proposed open areas on the site include an outdoor gym, courtyard garden, formal garden and play area, ball game area and ‘secret garden’.

“We have strived to provide excellent quality apartments with good prospect and aspect and light, out view is that these should be the ‘best in class’ apartments. To this end, we have considered providing tenant facilities within the scheme, these facilities include a gym, bicycle store, storage rooms and bin stores.

“We have provided additional storage for the apartments at the ground floor which can be allocated where required. The scheme also includes four managed parcel drop areas for parcel deliveries when the residents are not available,” the application reads.

An agreement in principle has been reached to transfer ownership of 10 units (four houses and six apartments) to the City Council to comply with social housing requirements.

A Natura Impact Statement included with the application reads: “It is considered that the proposed housing development will not result in the loss of habitats and species of ecological significance and will not have any significant impacts on the biodiversity of the wider area.”

The application also notes that “the character of the area is becoming increasingly urban in nature with emerging residential development and the addition of the N6 Galway City Ring Road to the north west of the application site”.

Planning applications for housing developments of more than 100 residential units or 200 student bed spaces can be made directly to An Bord Pleanála following initial consultations with local authorities.

Under the legislation, applications are decided within a 16-week time period, and members of the public now have five weeks to make a submission directly to the Board.

Separately, an application has been lodged with the City Council to construct 64 new homes on an adjoining site on the Letteragh Road.

Centento Ltd – which is headed by Shane O’Connor from Barna – has sought permission to build 25 two, three and four-bed houses, as well as 39 one, two and three-bed apartments in four separate three-storey blocks.