The Galway City Council has backed down and scrapped plans to sell Shantalla Community Park and develop it into a primary care centre and car park after councillors and local residents continued to strongly oppose any change in the city development plan that would facilitate such a move.
At Monday’s meeting of Galway City Council Cllr Colette Connolly (Lab ), a staunch opponent to the plans, referred to a motion put forward previously which had the backing of the majority of city councillors who do not want this to go ahead.
The motion objected to the acting city manager’s attempts to re-zone Shantalla Area Park. It had been proposed that a variation be put in the Galway City Development Plan 2011-2017 in accordance with Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended ) to insert a specific objective to consider the development of a primary care centre with associated car parking on a section of RA zoned lands at Shantalla known as Shantalla Community Park.
Mr Joe O’Neill, who recently stepped down as acting city manager to resume his role as director of services, told the chamber: “I set out my position before, that this development would not go ahead if the councillors are not willing to develop or sell the land. If you are saying this to me then there would be no point [in going ahead]”.
Speaking following the meeting Cllr Connolly said the outright rejection of the acting city manager's proposal to sell off three acres of RA zoned lands in Shantalla “must be the final attempt by the city council officials to sell off Shantalla Neighbouhood Park”. Cllr Connolly also referred to an emergency meeting which was held in Shantalla last week during which residents “made it clear to councillors that they would not countenance the loss of their park, and said that it was time for the council to support residents to develop it as an amenity for the area”. She noted that residents previously rejected attempts to use the park for a helicopter pad in 2005 and a car park in 2007/2008, and therefore it was “quite evident at the public meeting that their patience has finally been exhausted on this issue”.
Cllr Connolly added that no explanation has been given as to why this particular piece of land was put forward for a primary care centre development, and that councillors have since been given a letter from a third party outlining negotiations undertaken already to provide such facilities in a vacant commercial premises in the area. She added that the proposal also ran “completely contrary” to the specific objection in the City Development plan to develop Shantalla Neighbourhood Park and there had been no assessment made on the impact such a facility would have on the upgraded Seamus Quirke Road which had cost the taxpayer in excess of €15 million.
