Planning permission is being sought for a residential development of 82 houses and apartments on the west side of Galway City.
Burkeway Homes has submitted plans to the council for 52 houses, along with 29 apartments, duplexes, and community units, on the Letteragh Road.
The 2.37ha site is to the north of the existing Fánán housing estate, with a derelict bungalow and outbuilding on the site to be demolished.
Ability West, the registered owner of part of the site in the application, has written a letter supporting the project, as it includes valuable new facilities for the charity.
Ability West has been providing supports and services to adults and children with intellectual disabilities in Galway, and their families, for 59 years now.
Part of this development will include the construction of a day service centre with the capacity to cater for 25 people.
The proposal also allows for a five bedroom bungalow designed to support people with significant mobility needs, and three apartments for semi-independent living.
“Ability West have for several years tried to source suitable properties in the west side of Galway City to provide the services above but have been unsuccessful to date”.
“This development offers us the opportunity to develop new services in this area,” the support letter states.
On top of the units for Ability West, another eight units in the estate will be designated to satisfy the legal Part V social/affordable housing requirements.
Access to the estate will be via an entrance on the Letteragh Road, where the developer intends to build a footpath. It will have a total of 136 parking spaces.
The housing units facing onto the Letteragh Road have been set back to accommodate future road improvements by the city council.
According to the planning application, 15.4% of the site will be given over to public open space, with landscaped amenity areas along the central spine of the estate.
A Natura Impact Statement, Flood Risk Assessment, Road Safety Audit, and Traffic Impact Assessment were submitted with this application.
Burkeway were granted planning permission for a separate residential development of 101 homes on the Letteragh Road by An Bord Pleanála in 2019.
A decision on this planning application is due from the city council by May 9 of this year.
