By Brendan Carroll

An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for the retention of the temporary Emergency Department at University Hospital Galway (UHG) – and for the construction of a new electricity substation, to which local residents in Newcastle had objected.

The Newcastle Residents Association had appealed the decision of Galway City Council to approve a three-pronged planning application submitted by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

This included the retention of the Emergency Department and of a 24-space carpark next to the public analyst’s laboratory.

But the residents’ objection focused mainly on the third aspect of the application, seeking permission for a single storey electrical energy centre (EEC) including transformer and LV switchgear and associated lighting, on the site of the hospital carpark located adjacent to Newcastle Park.

This would require alterations to the ‘Mass Path’ car park, including a new entrance, relocation of the entrance barrier, alterations to the boundary wall, railings and ticket machine and a reduction in the number of parking spaces from 69 to 38.

The Newcastle Residents’ Association, in their submission objecting to the application, claimed that the proposed new 27 metres long and four metres high EEC had an industrial appearance and would be unsympathetic to the area, located just three metres from the nearest house.

They said the facility should be relocated, expressing concern about noise levels, a risk of flooding and that a loss of carparking would lead to ‘overspill parking’ in the area.

Responding to the appeal, the HSE stressed that the proposed EEC building would not be a power generation facility but rather an electricity substation.

“Providing a new substation will enable essential upstream upgrades and reconfiguration works to be planned on the campus over time,” it said.

“The new EEC building will not only fulfil the urgent necessity of a fully reliable power supply to the TED [Temporary Emergency Department] building but in due course could provide Low Voltage power supplies to the east side of the UHG campus,” the HSE response added.

The report by an Inspector of An Bord Pleanála rejected many of the residents’ contentions, saying that the proposed development would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities in the area, nor would it result in significant traffic impacts in the vicinity.

He added that, having considered the Noise Impact Assessment report submitted by the applicants, he was satisfied that the proposed EEC building would not result in significant noise impacts.

The board of An Bord Pleanála has decided to grant permission for the developments, subject to a number of conditions – these include a monitoring of the proposed noise mitigation measures for six months.

Pictured: The ‘Mass Path’ carpark at UHG where the HSE has been given the green light for a new ‘Electrical Energy Centre’.