An Bord Pleanála has granted planning approval for a Strategic Housing Development in Letteragh consisting of 101 homes.
Burkeway Homes Ltd has received planning permission for a housing estate on the north west outskirts of the city off the Letteragh Road.
The estate will consist of 46 houses and 55 apartments with associated childcare facilities and landscaping works.
The apartments will be spread across four blocks facing out onto the Letteragh road and the Bohereen road, while the detached and semi-detached houses will be located to the east.
The housing estate is being constructed on undeveloped land zoned Residential, which An Bord Pleanála described as “poor quality grazing land with stone wall and hedge boundaries”.
Under Part V planning requirements, 10 units in the estate have been set aside for affordable or social housing.
The design also includes a communal open area over 15% of the site, with separate ares for soccer, a playground, courtyard, outdoor gym and secret garden to the south.
The proposed creche in one of the apartment block would have the capacity for 42 children.
The apartment blocks facing onto the Letteragh road are set back from the boundary of the road, which the developer said is to address overshadowing concerns at Sliabh Na Ri estate opposite.
It is also meant to provide room for the creation of a cycle lane in the future as part of an expansion of the city cycle network in the Galway Transport Strategy.
A total of 170 car parking spaces are included in the plans, one for each of the apartments, two each for the houses, and 23 visitor spaces.
A Road Safety Audit was submitted with the planning application which recommended reducing the speed limit on the Letteragh road, which the city council said is part Speed Limit Bye Law Review soon to go out on public display
The higher planning authority received eight public submissions with various concerns about this housing development.
Issues were raised with the accuracy of the drawings submitted with the planning application which failed to depict changes to the Letteragh road and a pathway in the management of Sliabh Na Rí.
Concerns were also raised about the impact this housing development would have on traffic in the area as well as the local rural character.
It was also argued that the proposal contains inadequate measures to promote sustainable transportation.
Sliabh Na Rí Management Company, the Residents Association for the opposite estate, made a request to An Bord Pleanála for an oral hearing.
However the higher planning authority determined that there were no extraordinary circumstances surrounding this development and refused the request.
Planning permission was awarded to Burkeway Homes for this housing estate with 16 conditions attached.
