Planning permission to completely redevelop Galway docks into a larger, more modern, port and marina will be lodged in 2010, but the port will be forced to close down unless it expands and modernises to accommodate higher tonnage ships .
This is according to Eamon Bradshaw of the Galway Harbour Company board, who was addressing the Oireachtas' Joint Committee on Transport regarding proposals for the redevelopment of Galway Harbour. The cost of the new development is estimated to be €200 million.
Fine Gael Galway West TD Pádraic McCormack, a member of the Committee on Transport, asked when the board expected to apply for planning permission; where stand the plans for the development of the new port; and when the current docks would be developed as a marina?
“I am aware of the difficulties faced by shipping in the tidal harbour with accommodation for ship tonnage limited to 7,500 tonnes,” he said. “Most ships would now be three to four times that number.”
Mr Bradshaw said the board expected to go for planning in April 2010 and that the plans had been approved and agreed by the Galway City Council executives.
However he admitted that major infrastructural developments “do not go through the planning process easily”.
The development will be on a Special Area of Conservation-designated land, however the harbour board believe its environmental impact study and the research it has undertaken will help “overcome those difficulties”.
Mr Bradshaw also admitted “there are people with different views from those of the board, which we acknowledge and appreciate”. He said many people and groups had made presentations, concerns had been listened to, and that “we believe we have overcome many of them”.
He also said the board had met the city council executive every month to ensure the board could present its ideas formally to local councillors. He said that over the past 12 months the board hadmet all councillors, some on several occasions.
Dep McCormack pointed out that in 2005 the harbour handled more than 1 million tonnes of cargo. In 2008, it dropped to 838,000, tonnes, while in 2009 it was projected to fall to 740,000 tonnes.
Mr Bradshaw said the reason for the drop was the economic situation and the fact that oil companies no longer wished to deliver oil in 3,000-tonne tankers.
“They are becoming obsolete and in several years’ time we can either develop the port to accommodate higher tonnage or close down,” he said. “Oil and other petroleum products are being delivered to other ports simply because Galway cannot accommodate their ships.”
The plans for the new harbour will go on display in the Galway Harbour Board offices after a presentation to the Galway City Council on Monday November 9 and to the Galway County Council later in the month. The plans will then be shown to An Bord Pleanála. It is understood there will also be public consultation on the issue.
