Residents up in arms over green space plan

By Dara Bradley

A groundswell of opposition has developed among residents against plans to re-zone a green space in the west of the city to make way for a primary healthcare facility.

In a strong show of force, up to 200 locals attended a meeting on Wednesday evening to oppose plans to re-zone a 2.8 acres portion of Shantalla Park to eventually make way for a healthcare facility.

The resounding message that emanated from the floor of Shantalla Community Centre was loud and clear: “enough is enough – stop trying to re-zone our park”.

Speaker after speaker railed against the re-zoning proposal at the meeting that lasted around two hours. Residents have demanded that officials at Galway City Council and elected representatives ‘sit up and listen’ when the proposal comes before them for a vote this coming Monday.

The meeting was chaired by John Anthony McDonagh of the Shantalla Residents’ Association, and was attended by the city’s mayor, Cllr Terry O’Flaherty, as well as all four local area councillors and five other councillors from neighbouring electoral wards.

Each councillor spoke and every one of them pledged opposition to the re-zoning, making it unlikely that the proposal will make any inroads this coming Monday. 

The first step of the process is to re-zone the land, which involves a variation of the City Development Plan. If that happens – which now appears unlikely given the local opposition – the Council will proceed to sell the land to a private medical company for a primary healthcare facility. A price-tag of around €300,000 had been mentioned, but not officially.

The Interim City Manager, Joe O’Neill, in a short statement this week said the proposal will not affect the existing pitch and allotments. He clarified that “there is no proposal to sell off three quarters” of the park. He added that residents could make their views known during the public consultation stage.

In a circular to city councillors, sent the same date as the statement was issued, Mr O’Neill said that the site is suitable for a primary health care facility but it is not the only suitable site.