Planners in Galway City Council have approved the government agency’s application to have 356 proposed apartments between Lough Atalia Road, Dock Road, and within Galway Port considered as a Large-scale Residential Development (LRD ).
The LRD status is obtained only after a statutory pre-planning process between a local authority and a developer is completed satisfactorily. It is designed to fast-track the planning process once an application is lodged.
Galway City Council issued an opinion this week that the LDA’s plan to build four separate tower blocks and a new road network within the port will be considered a LRD. This status should shorten timelines during the planning process.
The plans include renovating the harbour’s pump station, demolition of the existing bus depot behind Lough Atalia Texaco station, and partial demolition of an ESB substation to make space for an enormous 31,404 sqm, mixed-use development over seven acres.
This will include 175 one-bed flats, 166 two-bed flats, 15 three-bed flats, a creche, a café, and two retail units. Permission will be sought to build four separate tower blocks, with height applications expected to range from six stories to up a maximum of 12 stories for one block with balconies on all sides.
The proposed development will include a new internal road layout, pathways into the city, a new street junction with Dock Road, and an upgraded connection to Lough Atalia Road. Parking for 65 cars and 750 bikes is expected, plus one delivery bay.
Planning applications for associated landscaping should include green spaces accessible to the general public.
The Galway Harbour Company agreed a deal with the LDA two years ago to facilitate housing on a six acre site which includes land between the Commercial Docks and Galway Harbour Enterprise Park.
