From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Fifteen parcels of land – which were rezoned just weeks ago by city councillors to allow for limited residential developments – must now revert to their original designations, the Planning Regulator has recommended this week.

The Galway City Development Plan 2023-2029 had been adopted by councillors at the end of November and included the rezoning of the land parcels to allow mostly for limited residential developments.

The Council has now been ‘directed’ by the Minister of State at the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to reinstate 15 specific zoning objectives which had been changed by councillors in amendments to the plan.

Lands off the Coolagh Road; Rahoon; Headford Road and Sandyvale Lawn; Dublin Road; Terryland; Quarry Road, Menlo (four locations); Ballindooley; off the Circular Road (2 locations); Roscam (two locations) and the Headford Road, will now return to their original zoning designations.

Almost all of the directions will mean that the lands in question revert to agricultural (or high amenity) zoning status from residential (R2) when the new City Development Plan comes into law.

One of the ‘reinstatement’ directions on the Coolagh Road will see a portion of land which had been designated as ‘Enterprise, Light Industry and Commercial (C1) reverting to Agricultural and High Amenity status (G).

This week, Patricia Philbin, Director of Services in Infrastructural Development, Planning and Climate Change at the City Council, has written to all councillors, outlining details of the Draft Directive issued by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the January 13 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism by buying a digital edition HERE.