In a move signalling a significant change of approach from Galway City Council toward large employers, Boston Scientific has been asked to plan for more cyclists and bus users rather than just build extra carparking.
Boston Scientific’s application to build 550 new carparking spaces for its almost 3,000-strong Galway workforce had been questioned by both Galway councils, and now the National Transport Agency too.
In a request for further information after Boston Scientific lodged a planning application last month, local planners have now suggested Boston gives “consideration [to provide] a shuttle bus” to transport employees from regional train and bus stations.
The NTA has recommended Boston provide a bus and cycle route through its Ballybrit campus, and is concerned the medical devices manufacturer has not “adequately considered” the Galway Transport Strategy, or planned improvements in Galway’s Bus Connects scheme.
Works began last week on a major upgrade of public transport facilities in nearby Parkmore and the Monivea Road junction. Six new bus stops and four new signalised pedestrian crossings will be installed as part of the scheme.
After submitting a 16-page observation on Boston’s carparking plans, the Galway branch of heritage body An Taisce guardedly welcomed Galway City Council’s request for clarity from Boston Scientific’s planning agent.
“Galway County Council made an explicit condition on the Dexcom planning permission recently granted in Athenry that a shuttle bus operated by Dexcom should connect Galway city and Athenry Trains Station for the start and end of each work shift,” said spokesman Peter Butler. “The times they are a-changing,” he added.
Dexcom broke ground on its Athenry site last month where it hopes to employ 1,000 people making glucose monitoring devices for diabetics. “We strategically chose Athenry for our first manufacturing facility in Europe to ensure our location was easily accessible to the best talent, not only in Galway, but [from] the surrounding counties,” said Dexcom senior executive, Barry Regan. Comments such as these have focused minds in Galway city’s business community where there is increasing concern that car-clogged roads are reducing the regional capital’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment.
Boston Scientific manufactures devices including heart stents and valves, vascular balloons and oesophageal stents for patients with throat cancer. More than 4m medical devices are exported from its Galway facility each year.
Its campus has surface car parking for more than 1,200 cars, and the major regional employer is understood to rent land nearby for more. Its current arrangement forces commuters to park near its original Building 1, and then make a ten minute walk to its one-year-old manufacturing facility in Building 2.
