From this week’s Galway City Tribune – A new ‘town’ with multiple residential and commercial units in multi-storey blocks has been given the green light in the city centre paving the way for a major jobs boost.

An Bord Pleanála granted a 10-year planning permission for the €320m mixed use development of lands adjacent to Ceannt Station.

The ‘Augustine Hill’ project, backed by Edward Capital (developer Gerry Barrett and family) and Summix Capital (a UK investment company), will have nine blocks ranging in height from one-storey to 21-storeys – Galway’s tallest multi-storey building.

The Planning Appeals Board, in a decision issued this week, largely agreed with and upheld the original decision of the local authority.

It has, however, scaled back the residential element of the proposal, by refusing two residential towers. It ruled that these towers due to their excessive height, scale and massing were too close to Forthill Cemetery, “a key heritage asset of cultural importance”.

It has also inserted a condition that removes floors from another two residential blocks.

This means the overall number of residential units has been reduced by 144 to 260. The original plan was for 404 apartments. Sources close to the developers said the reduction in residential units was ‘not ideal’ but insisted the project was still viable.

As part of the development, permission was granted for a new hotel with 186 bedrooms in a nine and ten-storey building, as well as a shopping centre over three floors with two departments stores and 28 other shops; 19 café/restaurant/bar units; a multi-screen cinema; over 1,200 bike parking spaces and over 400 car parking spaces.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the July 7 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.