Planners demand safety rail removal
A safety railing that was erected along the Docks to prevent accidents from happening could have to be removed unless planning permission is granted for it.
Fears have been expressed that if it is removed it could lead to tragedies as the area has been the scene of several drownings in the past.
The railing was erected as a safety precaution for the Volvo Ocean Race back in 2009 and was supposed to have been removed 10 days after the finish of the event.
However, the barrier still remains in place despite Galway City Council making contact with the Galway Harbour Company twice in 2010. Then an enforcement order was issued in November 2012 demanding its removal.
As a result of this, the Galway Harbour Company referred the matter to An Bord Pleanala asking if the railing was exempted development, meaning that it did not require planning permission.
But the Planning Appeals Board ruled that it did require planning and, if this is not granted, then the 205 metres of railing which runs along Dock Road will have to be removed.
In fact, the Board said that the erection of the railing had negatively impacted on the Docks, which is actually a protected structure. They said that it detracted from its character.
They said that the area between the Dock Road and the edges of the inner harbour had been habitually open to the public for the previous 10 years.
The railing that runs the full length of the Dock Road is around one metre high and separates the road from the harbour. It is anchored into the concrete plinth which runs the length of the road.
City planners have already indicated that they are not in favour of this structure as they feel that it has negative effect on the visual amenity of the Docks.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.