From this week’s Galway City Tribune – County Council planners have been accused of ‘economic sabotage’ as they placed a major obstacle in the way of a multi-million-euro film and TV studio at Galway Airport.

Planning permission was this week granted to Danú Media Teoranta for the studio in an aircraft hangar, but county planners have put a five-year limit on the facility – casting doubt on the viability of the project.

Planners have insisted that the studio, which was forecast to create up to 200 jobs and yield €20 million annually to the local economy, would be a ‘temporary’ change of use for the structure and would require retention to continue operations beyond 2027.

The Galway City Tribune understands that this was done in anticipation of an ‘area plan’ for the Carnmore site, which is jointly owned by the City and County Councils but is in the County’s jurisdiction.

Elected representatives on both Councils backed the studio project last year, enabling Danú to proceed with their planning application.

It’s understood that Phase One of the project requires around €5 million of investment, a significant figure for a facility that would only have a five-year timeline.

The planners’ move has been castigated by City Councillor Níall McNelis who said the County Council had shown a lack of appreciation for the value of this project for the arts in Galway City.

“It is economic sabotage by the County Council and it shows a total lack of understanding of the implications of this for the city – how is any company expected to secure millions of euros in funding for a project that will expire in just five years?” asked Cllr McNelis.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, and support our journalism, see the October 28 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.