An Bord Pleanála has given the green light for a residential development of 74 apartments on the west side of Galway City, despite strong local opposition.
Sean Talamh Development Ltd has received planning permission for the demolition of the former T O’Higgins site on the Rahoon Road.
In its place they intend to build a part three-storey, part four-storey u-shaped apartment complex arranged around a central courtyard.
The housing will comprise 19 one-bed apartments, 48 two-bed apartments, and 7 three-bed apartments, with 59 car parking spaces at the basement level.
Galway City Council has already approved this development in January of 2023, with strong local opposition.
A total of 43 objections were received at the planning stage, including one from a Shantalla Residents Association with 73 signatures.
The council’s decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála in four separate third-party appeals, one of which was from the Residents of Shantalla, and included a petition.
A major issue in the appeals was the zoning of the site, stating that the Enterprise, Light Industry and Commercial zoning does not permit residential use.
Other concerns related to the scale height and massing of the apartments, water services and flooding, overlooking, overshadowing, overdevelopment, traffic, parking, antisocial behaviour, damage to wildlife, and aviation safety.
Under the current City Development Plan, the area is zoned C1 Commercial/Industrial, but this site is also part of the Shantalla Strategic Regeneration and Opportunity Site in the plan, which does allow for residential use.
Planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála with 22 revised conditions attached to the approval.
Among these the board stipulated revised boundary walls for private and public open space, and that at least 10% of parking spaces must be fitted with EV charging stations, with ducting to allow for chargers to be installed at all other spaces.
