Planning permission has been granted for a residential development in Claregalway, despite the fact that a local residents association says it has been told that domestic insurance cover may not be available for the area.
Galway County Council has recently given planning approval with conditions attached for the development of a mix of detached and semi-detached and terraced houses at Summerfield, but local residents feel this will be an extension of the River Oaks estate.
However, local residents told the Advertiser this week that they had objected to the development on many grounds, such as health and safety, traffic, parking, and lack of play facilities, but felt that the insurance issue was one that should have been given more consideration by the planning authority.
A spokesman for the River Oaks Residents Association, who objected to the planning application for the new houses, said that they have letters from several insurance companies saying that they would not be willing to insure houses because the area is considered at risk of flooding.
“Because insurance cover is assessed using geocoding, the insurance companies who responded to the queries for the residents, said that the issue of flood risk would deter them from quoting for insurance cover at that location,” he said.
