To date, all we have heard from city officials, is that they cannot/read will not get involved in interfering with any proposal which may eventually be presented to them in the form of a planning application. The local authority, instead, have failed to impose any cohesive vision for planning in an area, which is at the heart of the city and, have by so doing let the service providers off the hook by allowing them draw up separate and conflicting transport plans.

Separately. Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey TD, in his new 2020 Vision - Sustainable Travel & Transport - public consultation document says, 'Participation in a public consultation process...must address the issue of spatial planning and its impact on travel patterns...and, must discuss the integration of spatial planning and transport infrastructure and proposes that these should be more closely aligned.'

Executive Summary, page 4. An Taisce agrees with the Minister!

What is likely to happen now is that two major transport projects, one marine based the other road and rail, each of which had some merit, may now be stymied, and may never proceed. This, because the planning authority refused to take up the concept of having a 'Master Plan' prepared before any subsequent planning applications would be considered.

Among developments for which the planning authority must now seek technical advice from the HSA are: hotel, hostel or holiday accommodation, or housing, commercial or industrial developments with 20 or more employees, parking facilities for more than 200 motor vehicles, transport links, including public roads, railways and canals, any development adjoining or separated only by a road from an establishment that poses a risk of fire or explosion etc, etc.

Quite how some recent developments, which have taken place in the vicinity of Galway's docks, were allowed go-ahead, given that the Directive was implemented in Ireland by the European Communities (Control of Major Accidents Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations, 2000, which are referred to as the 'Seveso Regulations' we may never know.

What is now clear however is that planning authorities will have to be much more careful about what is allowed to be built here now, and into the future.

Yours faithfully,
Derrick Hambleton,
Chairman,
An Taisce - Galway Association,
Kingston,
Galway

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