An Bord Pleanala clears way for €300m Augustine Hill project behind Ceannt Station

Galway Bay FM Newsroom – An Bord Pleanala has cleared the way for a major urban redevelopment project on lands behind Ceannt Station in the city, which would include hundreds of homes and a new retail district.

But it’s upheld that some residential aspects of the design, led by developer Gerry Barrett, are not suitable and cannot be built.

Several appeals were lodged after the project was granted permission after being somewhat scaled-back by city planners over two years ago.

The scale of this project and its impact on the landscape shouldn’t be under-estimated.

It’s effectively a new town centre and the expected cost is north of €300m.

Features include several hundred residential units, a new shopping district, four new public plazas, 11 new streets, a cinema, hotel and public performance spaces.

City planners gave the green light in May 2021; with limitations on the height and scale of some residential elements.

But an appeal was then lodged by The Galway Association of An Taisce and another third party.

The applicant, Seagullpoint Limited, had also lodged an appeal against the decision by city planners to scale back some aspects of the development.

Now, two years later, and An Bord Pleanala has given the overall green light for the project to go ahead.

But while the majority of the 9-block development has been cleared, permission has again been refused for two residential towers that form part of block number 9.

Inspectors upheld that their excessive height and scale are incompatiable with the landscape and character of the surrounding area.

This decision means that the residential offering of this new urban quarter would be considerably scaled-back compared to the original vision.