Newly appointed CEO of Galway City Council, Leonard Cleary, must take a hands on approach to Housing & Planning policy, according to local election candidate Shane Forde.
Forde sighted examples of two recent planning applications which were refused “denying the opportunity to provide new homes for first time buyers and much needed Part V homes for the Council”.
“In one case, the council refused permission for over 100 homes opposite An Post on the Tuam Road, essentially because of its proximity to the proposed bypass which itself doesn’t have planning permission”.
“In this case, the Council’s housing department was supportive of the development of an affordable purchase scheme on the site yet the planning section refused the application,” he said.
“Of more concern, is the fact that the proposed access point on the Tuam Road was also going to be used to access lands to the rear of the site which Galway City Council has spent millions on acquiring in recent years. One piece of land alone acquired by the Council cost in excess of €3m. and development of these council lands cannot go ahead until proper access is established”.
In a separate case, a proposal to develop 170 much-needed homes at Bothar an Choiste was refused by An Bord Pleanala, following a submission by the City Council recommending refusal. According to Forde, “this scheme alone would have provided 34 much needed Part V social homes for the Council, yet it submitted a negative report to An Bord Pleanala recommending refusal of the application”.
“We need joined-up thinking at Council level and if elected on June 7, I will be demanding that the new CEO takes a hands on approach to planning and housing policy in order to give large scale housing planning applications the best chance of success”.
