Rushing into any local area plan for Ardaun would result in large scale rezoning of lands without proper recreational, transport and community facilities being put in place.
This is the view of Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh who is calling on the Galway City Council to back down on its plans to develop the Ardaun area, which lies between Doughiska/Roscam and Carnmore at this time.
Cllr Walsh raised his concerns at Monday’s city council meeting and was supported in his views by Independent councillors Catherine Connolly and Declan McDonnell. City planners were unimpressed, saying plans need to be drawn up for the city’s future development.
However Cllr Walsh said the funding “simply isn’t available at present” to develop community facilities in Ardaun and development there “must be put on hold” until funding becomes available. He also said the council already has enough zoned land to cater for the city’s growth for the next five years.
Cllr Walsh is concerned that if City Hall presses ahead with the plan, it will result in numerous planning applications being submitted over which the council will have little control. He fears that any future development there risks becoming developer-led and that this will result in a lack of community facilities.
“We must learn from our mistakes of the past,” he said. “Development in Knocknacarra was developer-led and it was houses, houses, houses, and 20 years later we are still trying to get a community centre. We still have parts of Castlegar without proper footpaths and street lighting. We cannot allow the same to happen in Ardaun.”
Cllr Walsh said councillors have no control over the granting of planning permission, but “do have a say in when and where development can take place”.
“I believe that on this occasion,” he said, “we should use our power to make sure that proper facilities such as schools, playing pitches, and other community facilities are put in place in tandem with proposed developments.”
