The Minister for Housing has issued draft directions to the city council to make a number of changes to the new city development plan.
The draft directions to the city council come on the basis of recommendations made by the Office of the Planning Regulator.
Acting on these recommendations, Minister Eamon Ryan has issued notice for 25 changes to be made to the Galway City Development Plan 2023-2029.
This includes reinstating 14 zoning objectives to the draft GCDP, and removing another 11 zoning objectives from the plan.
The Minister has decided not to follow one recommendation made by the OPR that lands in Rahoon should revert from Residential zoning to Agricultural in the new plan.
This is due to the fact that Irish Water has confirmed that the subject lands are serviced by public water and wastewater services, making them suitable for housing development.
They are also contiguous to other residential zoned land, and next to the already developed area of Galway City, “thereby the zoning of these lands for residential development is
reasonable in a city context”.
The Office of the Planning Regulator was set up in 2019 based on recommendations by the Mahon Tribunal.
Its job is to ensure that local authorities and An Bord Pleanála’s actions support and implement government policy.
