Corrib Park residents received good news on Monday night, when local councillors unanimously supported a motion to rezone local lands from residential to amenity.

If this variation of the City Development Plan is successful, it will block plans by Galway City Council to built six houses as part of an infill project on the Corrib Park estate. Residents have vehemently opposed the infill plans, saying that it would disrupt the community feel of the area.

Cllr Colette Connolly has welcomed the support for her motion to begin the process of a variation to the City Development Plan (CDP) that will seek to rezone residential zoned lands in Corrib Park to recreational amenity, consistent with adjacent RA zoned lands. Following a public consultation process, the matter will be brought back before councillors for a final decision in the coming months.

"I appreciate the seriousness of varying the CDP and have previously voted against variations in relation to rezoning in Briarhill on the advice of the city manager and planners. However, on this occasion I fail to understand why and how the land in question zoned RA was rezoned residential in the 1999 CDP. Further, the city council never drew this area of land to the attention of councillors during deliberations on the 2004 CDP," she said.

Cllr Connolly said the housing plans had come "out of the blue" and that the council were reacting to pressure in relation to the 2,800 currently on the housing waiting list. She also rejected assertions by City Manager Joe MacGrath that there are already enough recreational lands in the Corrib Park area.

"With constant references by the medical profession in relation to obese children, it is time to invest and develop the amenities of the area in consultation with the residents to promote physical activity that will improve mental wellbeing," she concluded.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment