Scaled-down floodlighting for Pearse Stadium to be put to residents

Date Published: 26-Nov-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

A fresh application for the erection of floodlighting at Pearse Stadium in Salthill is set to be lodged with city planners.

The application comes more than two years after the Galway GAA County Board was forced to withdraw a previous application after our sister newspaper the Galway City Tribune revealed that an investigation was ordered into a ‘forged’ Garda signature on an official document within the planning file.

Now, the County Board has said it has taken on board concerns expressed by local residents – who previously submitted more than 100 objections to the lighting proposals – and will hold a public information evening on the plans this Thursday in the stadium from 5pm to 8pm.

According to John Hynes, County Board CEO, the new application will differ in that it includes:

l Reduced level of illumination

l Different lighting configuration

l Reduced mast heights

l Provision of Parking and Traffic Management Plan

l Floodlights confined to limited number of games

“In preparing the forthcoming application, the GAA and the consultants assisting them, have reviewed the contents of previous applications and familiarised themselves with the concerns previously expressed by residents,” said Mr Hynes.

Local area councillor Peter Keane welcomed the decision by the GAA to hold a public information evening, and said traffic management is a contentious issue.

“The Traffic Management Plans adopted by the GAA for big matches in Pearse Stadium have clearly not worked in the past and I will be interested to see what proposals the GAA will be bringing forward as part of this new application

“A properly functioning Traffic Plan is key to the successful organisation of any big match event and there is no reason it cannot be achieved in Pearse Stadium given the availability of local schools in the area for the provision of carpark spaces.

“Undoubtedly there is large support amongst the GAA fraternity in Galway to provide a floodlit stadium in the city and the economic benefits of such an amenity are clear to be seen in other cities and large towns throughout the country.”

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel