A planning appeal has been lodged against the rejection of plans for a large expansion of the Victoria Hotel in Galway City.
Galway City Council refused planning permission in January for an 8 – 9 storey extension of the city centre hotel, which would have added 91 new bedrooms.
Byrne Hotel Management sought to demolish the existing warehouse, restaurant and associated buildings next to the Victoria Hotel, which is located just south of Eyre Square.
Aside from the additional bedrooms other works in the project were to include a seating area and bar on the ground floor and first floor/mezzanine, along with another rooftop bar and lounge.
Planning permission was ultimately refused by the city council, which said that it was not satisfied that the project would not have environmental impacts on the Galway Bay protected area, or that surface water could be properly disposed of.
Another major reason given for rejecting the project was the potential traffic impact it would have in a city centre area, both during construction and when the hotel extension was operational.
That decision has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála, which is due to rule on whether to grant planning for the hotel by June 10, 2024.
The appeal disputes the claim that there could be environmental impacts from the development, stating that the council was incorrect in its claims and submitted a Natura Impact Statement with the appeal.
It also states that the council’s own water services were satisfied with the project as long as a condition was included to guarantee that any excess surface water is discharged into a storm pipe.
The Traffic Management Plan submitted with the planning application also addresses the issue of construction and operation traffic associated with the development, the appeal states, and shows that the free flow of traffic will not be adversely affected.
