City Council demands changes to vision of Galway in 2040

Galway City Council has asked that policy be more strongly worded to ensure a “counter balance to the dominance of Dublin”.

It has requested that key objectives be included in relation to public transport; the expansion of Galway Port; cultural and arts infrastructure; flood protection measures; development of the ‘blue’ (ocean) and food economies and support for a new acute hospital.

The plan predicts a population increase for the city of 45,000 to 125,000 by 2040.

The NPF – which is set to be published in its final format in the next week – is expected to be adopted by Government by the end of February.

In the Council’s response to the already-published draft version of the plan, Eileen Ruane, Acting Director of Services for Planning and Economic Development, wrote: “The vision and growth direction for regional cities, which includes Galway, is a welcome spatial model coupled with the knowledge that such growth needs to happen in a compact manner, supported by good place making, regeneration and a radical shift to sustainable transport modes.

“It is felt, however, that there is a deficit in reference to the key investment requirements to enable Galway to realise its intended role as ‘a driver of national growth and as a key regional city’. It is acknowledged that the regional spatial and economic strategies.

“However, it is felt that these should be more confidently expressed in the NPF to affirm the commitment to grow the regional cities to the scale targeted, that is at a rate twice that of current growth and to materialise the ‘collective offer’ of these cities, particularly in relation to creating some counter balance to the dominance of Dublin,” Ms Ruane wrote.

The Council has requested a series of modifications to the plan including the inclusion of an objective that measures be delivered to address housing supply and demand as already outlined in the Rebuilding Ireland plan.

The local authority has also asked that the Galway Transport Strategy – which includes measures to enhance public transport and sustainable transportation – be implemented, as well as “ensuring a maintained and improved rail network, with frequent intercity connectivity and commuter rail services and including the facilitation of the double tracking of the Galway to Athenry line and in the longer term, to Athlone-Portarlington section of the line”.

The Council has also asked for the inclusion of the following objectives: ■ Delivery of key cultural and arts infrastructure in the context of the Cultural Strategy and to facilitate successful delivery of European Capital of Culture 2020. ■ Continued development of broadband and hyper-connectivity measures including subsea links to continental Europe. ■ Improvements and support for key city amenity infrastructure including the Sáilín to Silverstrand Coastal Protection Scheme and Salthill Promenade upgrades. ■ Realisation of proposals for the expansion of Galway Port. ■ Strengthening of the medical technologies and ICT clustering and supporting diversification and expansion into the emerging ‘Blue Economy’ and ‘Food Economy’. ■ Timely delivery of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme and investment in identified manage flood risks measures, designed appropriately for sensitive locations. ■ Delivery of an enhanced regional health care service, developed to a modern standard to support existing and future population within the region, including for a new acute hospital located in Galway City to service the West and North-West.

An objective is also requested in relation to the delivery of projects emanating from the Climate Change Adaptation Plan.