Funding for schools could be lost if road crux not solved

Date Published: {J}

By Dara Bradley

Millions of euro in funding for two new schools on the east side of the city could be lost – and the building work on the schools delayed for up to 20 years – if a dispute over a roadway isn’t resolved, City Councillors were warned last night.

Director of Services for Transportation and Infrastructure Ciarán Hayes confirmed that the Council would not proceed with building a controversial new road through a green area in the Túr Uisce estate in Doughiska until he, officials, residents and elected members meet again this week.

Several meetings have already taken place between Galway VEC, Councillors, Council officials and residents after a stand-off took place on Good Friday when Council workers were forced to stop construction on the road due to health and safety concerns after residents protested.

Mr Hayes said that outline planning permission was granted for two schools, primary and secondary, on a landlocked site and that one of the conditions of the planning is that road access to the site would be provided through Túr Uisce.

Last night’s City Council meeting heard that if the road is not built by June, then the Public Private Partnership money allocated for the two schools would be put in jeopardy.

Mr Hayes said that if an access road is not built then the funding could be jeopardised, which would delay the building of the schools “for at least 15 or 20 years” given the current economic climate.

Cllr Collette Connolly (Lab) proposed that the Council go-ahead and build the road so that the PPP funding is not jeopardised this June but she wanted the Council to agree to providing an alternative access road “prior to the opening of the schools”, which haven’t got full planning permission yet.

She said there needed to be agreement with residents because otherwise the road could be challenged to An Bórd Pleanála, which will “bury the schools” altogether.

Mr Hayes said it was always envisaged that a road would be built through Túr Uisce to access the site, even when it had been earmarked for residential use and not just for the schools. He said the Council has a difficulty with Cllr Connolly’s wording that it would “commit to providing an alternative route” because that suggested there was an alternative access route. Alternative access points to the site being suggested by elected representatives “would compromise the public transport corridor” site adjacent to the site earmarked for the schools. It would also compromise recreational and amenity zoned lands in the area.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.