Planning permission has been refused for a large-scale residential development consisting of 227 apartments in Galway City.
Glenveagh Living Ltd sought approval for the construction of seven apartment blocks ranging from three to five storeys in height.
The new apartment complex was to be built on lands at Gort na Bró, Rahoon, next to Gateway Retail Park.
The development plans also included 1,009.5m² of commercial space at the ground floor level of the blocks, a community facility and a childcare facility with an external play area.
Other works involved in the project would involve the realignment of the road between Gort na Bró and Gateway Retail Park as well as the provision of private and communal open spaces.
A major element of the plans was the creation of a Civic Square on the western edge of the site to cater for the wider Knocknacarra District Centre.
Planning permission was refused by Galway City Council due to concerns about overshadowing, and the development’s relationship with the planning N6 Galway City Ring Road.
The council said that two of the apartment blocks would significantly overshadow the communal space between them and that another would do so to lands zoned for development right next to the site.
The overabundance of one and two-bedroom apartments and the lack of three-bedroom units was also cited as a reason for refusal.
Finally, the council said that the proposed development is at variance with the policy regarding developments on or affecting national roads due to its proximity to the proposed N6 Galway City Ring Road route.
Allowing it to go ahead would therefore “adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network”, either by itself or by the precedent it would set.
