The backers of the game-changing Augustine Hill urban regeneration project to be built on lands at the rear of Ceannt Station have welcomed the news delivered this week that Galway City Council planners have approved the project, albeit with 53 conditions, most of which are standard.
The development will create a series of 11 new streets and four large public spaces defined by the restoration of three existing protected stone buildings and the creation of up to 10 contemporary buildings, just a stone’s throw from Eyre Square.
The headline conditions from the planning decision delivered on Tuesday, have resulted in permission being refused for two residential towers by virtue of their height, scale and massing and their extreme proximity to Forthill cemetery.
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There were also conditions recommended that will see the number of residential units in the development fall from 404 to approximately 240. Planners also recommended that the number of floors in the hotel buildings be reduced which will result in a loss of about 50 bedrooms. The remainder of the conditions were standard requests associated with a project of this size and relate to development fees and construction plans.
The planning permission for the majority of the project has been welcomed by Galway Chamber with its president JP Gilmartin saying that the delivery of this massive project will breathe new life into the city centre, create thousands of jobs and turn Galway into an attractive location for investment.
Edward Capital’s MD Gerry Barrett said that this is a landmark decision for Galway city. “I want to thank our partners Summix Capital and CIÉ and our team of 70 professionals for their hard work and dedication. I would also like to thank the hundreds of people in Galway for sharing their thoughts and visions with us during the public consultation,” said Mr Barrett.
The headline conditions from the planning decision delivered on Tuesday, have resulted in permission being refused for two residential towers by virtue of their height, scale and massing and their extreme proximity to Forthill cemetery. There were also conditions recommended that will see the number of residential units in the development fall from 404 to approximately 240.
Planners also recommended that the number of floors in the hotel buildings be reduced which will result in a loss of about 50 bedrooms. The remainder of the conditions were standard requests associated with a project of this size and relate to development fees and construction plans.
Chamber welcome
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The green light was also welcomed by Galway Chamber who said that delivery of this project is a crucial stage in the progress towards the sustainable regeneration of Galway City.
The application was one of the largest ever dealt with by City Council planners when it was firsty submitted in early 2020, and a spokesman for Edward Capital paid tribute to the planners for the manner in which the large application was processed.
Speaking to the Advertiser yesterday, Edward Capital’s Paddy McDonald said that they are pleased with the vast majority of the planning decision and that they will review the recommendations made by the planners which relate to the decreased number of residential units and hotel rooms.
'This project will breathe life into the city centre and help rebalance growth away from the suburbs of Galway'
“The net effect is that the scheme in its entirety got permission apart from the residential aspect which has been reduced from 404 units which we applied for, to approximate 240. Some of the reasonings for that was that they were overlooking the cemetery and from the point of view of the planners, they probably felt that this was not required.
Located on an eight-acre site adjacent to Ceannt Station, Augustine Hill, as it will be known, will include a mix of 229 apartments, a 130-bed hotel, a six-screen cinema, restaurants, retail and a craft food market distributed across 11 new and fully-pedestrianised streets and four large public spaces. The residential element of the scheme will be housed in seven blocks with a 21-storey tower as its centrepiece.
Augustine Hill is a joint development by CIÉ, which owns the land, Edward Capital, and Summix Capital. CIÉ held a competition in 2017 to find a developer for the site, which resulted in Mr Barret’s proposal being deemed the most suitable for their requirements and for the city.
'Delighted'
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While the approved scheme represents a somewhat scaled-down version of the developer’s original proposal, which had included plans for a total of 378 apartments and a 180-bed hotel, Edward Capital’s managing director, Gerry Barrett, said he and his team were delighted to secure permission for the project.
“We are delighted with today’s decision by Galway City Council. This project will breathe life into the city centre and help rebalance growth away from the suburbs of Galway.
“It is a landmark decision for Galway city. I want to thank our partners Summix Capital and CIÉ and our team of 70 professionals for their hard work and dedication. I would also like to thank the hundreds of people in Galway for sharing their thoughts and visions with us during the public consultation,” said Mr Barrett.
'Delivery of this project will be crucial progress towards the sustainable regeneration of Galway city'
Mr McDonald said that the consultation process which they had embarked on with residents, stakeholders, and even post-primary students in the city was instrumental of the creation of a project that has now been approved by planners.
He said that the revitalisation of city centres can only be completed by allowing people to live there, adding that the Bonham Quay project will bring in 3,000 people when it is completed and the next step was the provision of residential units to help breathe new life into city centres.
An economic assessment of the scheme prepared by Prof Alan Ahearne of the Whitaker Institute at NUIG estimates that it will support some 610 jobs per year over the six-year period of its construction, and a further 2,700 jobs upon completion. Prof Ahearne’s analysis suggests it could contribute up to €200 million annually to national income and deliver a boost of €80 million to the exchequer.
Towers
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Explaining their refusal for the two residential towers, planners at the City Council said that “by virtue of their excessive height, scale and massing, coupled with their unsatisfactory interrelationship with the balance of the development proposed and their extreme proximity to Forthill Cemetery, (the towers ) cannot sympathetically assimilate into the scheme and would have a detrimental effect on adjoining heritage assets, key views and the character of Galway’s townscape.
“These elements of the proposed scheme are considered contrary to the policies and objectives of the Galway City development Plan and therefore to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”
It also requires that before the commencement of the work, that the developer shall pay the City Council a contribution of €4million, so that “the developer shares an equitable portion of the costs of the services which facilitate the development.”
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Planners also recommend the removal of floors in two pins and of four floors in the hotel buildings in order to reduce the impact of the excessive clustering of tall buildings, improve relationship between buildings and to reduce the impact on sensitive areas of architectural character in the interest of visual amenity and built heritage.
With the planning process potentially continuing for some time yet, it is expected that construction could begin inside the next two/three years. However, the design of Galway city centre seemed set to be radically changed by the end of this decade.
Galway Chamber welcome the approval of the planning application with JP Gilmartin, President of Galway Chamber saying it is a key part of Galway’s development.
“Delivery of this project will be crucial progress towards the sustainable regeneration of Galway city. It will significantly revitalize the City Centre, providing job opportunities and an attractive location for investment,” he said.
