Any future development on the Ardaun Corridor will ensure that community facilities like schools, community centres, and playing fields will take place alongside housing construction.
The Ardaun Corridor runs from around Briars Hill to Carnmore Airport and on to Carnmore Cross. The area has been earmarked by the Galway City Council and Galway County Council as a major area for housing, retail, employment, school, and leisure facility development.
This objective is contained in the current Galway City Development Plan and will remain a part of the new plan that is currently being debated in City Hall.
Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh was concerned that any development which takes place not repeat the mistakes of the past and that recreational and community facilities, and schools, be built at the same time as any future housing developments in the area.
“Up to now residential and commercial development has been given priority with community and recreational facilities being provided as an afterthought,” he said. “Knocknacarra is a prime example of this where an entire generation of young people have grown up without basic facilities.”
At Monday’s city council meeting, Cllr Walsh called for the Ardaun development to be “carried out on a phased basis” to ensure an “integrated approach between the phasing of development and availability of services and infrastructure”.
He asked that this wording be included in the Galway City Development Plan 2011-2017’s wording and this was unanimously agreed by councillors.
Under Cllr Walsh’s proposal, the number of dwelling units that may be permitted as part of each phase of development will be dependent on a certain amount of infrastructure, services, facilities, and amenities having been completed and these will be listed in the Local Area Plan
Speaking afterwards to the Galway Advertiser, he said Monday’s decision was “one of the most significant decisions councillors will make during the entire development plan process”.
