News
Tesco no longer locked in as anchor tenants at new centre
Tesco are no longer ‘definite’ to anchor a €15 million supermarket off the Seamus Quirke Road, despite planning permission being granted for the project, the Connacht Sentinel can reveal.
It’s understood that the scaling back of the size of the supermarket, along with a condition that the developer ‘foot the bill’ for a €3.5 million new road dissecting the site, has invalidated an agreement that was in place between the site owner and Tesco.
Former mayor Micheál Ó hUigínn, who owns the 6.5 acre site off Seamus Quirke Road, was granted permission for the development on Thursday with a total of 30 conditions attached, including a request for a development contribution of more than €495,000.
He confirmed to the Sentinel yesterday (Monday) that while an agreement had been in place with Tesco, it was based on certain road and building layout on the site, which had since been altered.
“That agreement is no longer in place. There will be appeals on all sides, and when a decision is given by An Bord Pleanála, we will look then at who the interested parties are. Tesco are not a definite, but would still be the forerunner,” said Mr Ó hUigínn.
It was initially intended that there would be access to the site from Seamus Quirke Road (a ‘ghost’ turning lane was built during the road upgrade), but the developer has been asked to construct a full public road at his own expense.
It’s understood that land and construction costs would amount to around €3.5m for the road, making it unfeasible.
The grant of permission is set to be appealed by local residents, as well as by Mr Ó hUigínn.
As part of the planning grant, Mr Ó hUigínn has been told to make a public plaza element of the site available for community use, free of charge, and that it also be used for an occasional market. Professional pieces of sculpture must also be erected.
Restrictions have also been placed on 24-hour opening – it can only be for eight weeks each year around Christmas and Easter, and must be agreed with the Council in advance.
Last month, Mr OhUigínn scaled back the plans, after planners deemed the initial proposals “excessive”.
As a result, the gross floor area had been reduced from 10,163 square metres to 9,369 sq.m. (a reduction of 8%).
Access to the supermarket – for customers and service vehicles –was altered to become available via a through road, which forms an extension to Bóthar le Chéile and linking the Seamus Quirke Road and the Rahoon/Shantalla Road.
There was also been a slight reduction in the carparking spaces from 486 to 462.
“The reduction in the scale has resulted in the reorganisation of the access and circulation areas within the site, as well as improvements to the servicing arrangements.
“The current design has significantly reduced predicted noise levels associated with access ramps and service yards within the development, compared to the original design,” the revised plans read.
With the project set for an appeal on both sides, it is expected to be the end of the year before An Bord Pleanála issues a decision.
Connacht Tribune
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Connacht Tribune
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
CITY TRIBUNE
Galway ‘masterplan’ needed to tackle housing and transport crises
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”