Rejuvenation of Salthill tops Council’s economic strategy

The rejuvenation of Salthill is among the priorities of Galway City Council’s new economic strategy which will be unveiled next year.

The local authority’s Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath, said an “economic development strategy for Salthill” will be prepared in 2015.

He said 20 or 30 years ago, Salthill was an economic driver in Galway but that has changed since.

“The rejuvenation of Salthill is very important,” he said.

The plan to revive Salthill is one of several strands of the City Council’s new economic strategy.

Another key element in plans to boost economic activity in the city and county includes the “rebranding” of Galway.

Mr McGrath said Galway was well known as an artistic city, and one of culture and for tourism but not so much as a hub of the World’s top medical devices companies, or a centre for ICT companies, or as a city of education.

Galway rebranding will be developed as part of the city’s economic strategy, working in tandem with a marketing strategy.

The economic strategy, prepared jointly with the County Council, will be finalised in 2015, he said.

A budget of €200,000 has been set aside for a city marketing fund and applications for that will open in December.

Another element of the economic strategy is the Galway Airport site, which was jointly purchased by the City and County Councils this year.

At least nine companies are competing to win the contract to carry out a feasibility study of the Carnmore site, which was bought with a view to the future economic development needs of Galway.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune