Shantalla residents are ‘none the wiser’ after two HSE information sessions last week where health chiefs sought to outline their proposals to build a new helipad on a public greenspace in the city.

Following following months of calls for the helipad to be built on a roof within the hospital campus instead of in the community park, residents are said to be ‘dismayed’ after it was suggested that this may happen in ten years’ time — leaving them wondering what will become of the three acres of land sought for the helipad thereafter.

Local resident and City Councillor, John McDonagh (Lab), said the information provided by the HSE was the same as had been given to councillors in May — that the hospital was seeking the transfer of approximately three acres, or more than half of the park, from the City Council to the HSE for use as a permanent helipad.

This follows longstanding accusations of a HSE ‘land grab’. A portion of the park has been used a ‘temporary’ helipad for UHG since 2013 when the Council transferred the land for six months to facilitate the construction of a multi-storey carpark in the hospital grounds.

Some twelve years later, the HSE brought forward these proposals for a permanent ‘heliport’ following years of criticism from locals who believe the land had already been taken ‘by stealth’.

“It was kind of let slip at the consultation that the HSE is looking at, in ten years or so, putting a helipad on the roof of one of the new buildings planned up there, and at putting some of the parking in the hospital underground. They haven’t said what would happen to Shantalla Park then,” said Cllr McDonagh.

“They couldn’t tell us exactly how much of the park would be left. And the BusConnects bus lane is going through it as well so there would be very little left. The also couldn’t tell us if an Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out.

“I am still strongly opposed to handing over half of the park. I can’t understand why they would need three acres for a helipad,” continued the Labour councillor. City Councillors will eventually have to vote on whether or not to dispose of the land to the HSE.

Locals were unsatisfied with the Council’s level of engagement, too, said Cllr McDonagh. It had been suggested previously by the Council Executive that alternative recreation and amenity lands could be provided if Shantalla Park had to be disposed of, but no plans have been brought forward.

“People want to know what they are proposing. The Council weren’t involved in this consultation,” he said.

Council Chief Executive Leonard Cleary previously suggested that the Council was using the transfer of lands in Shantalla Park as a bargaining chip with the HSE to secure permission to run the BusConnects scheme through hospital grounds.

“The bus corridor is a dealbreaker — it must go through the hospital or the HSE cannot come to the table,” said Mr Cleary at a Council meeting earlier this year.

The HSE has said the new heliport is necessary to meet the healthcare needs of the region.

In their presentation to councillors in May, they outlined that “neither the original helipad nor the temporary helipad, in its current form, is suitable for long-term use.

“A new helipad, fully compliant with current aviation regulations, is urgently required to allow UHG to continue to meet the aeromedical healthcare needs of the region,” they stated.

Pictured: The helipad serving University Hospital Galway.