Galway Bay fm newsroom:
The benefits of the proposed Galway Ring Road development are spurious at best according to one home owner who is set to lose her home should the plan go ahead.
The oral hearing for the project has entered its third week in the G Hotel.
Today’s session was the first chance to hear general submissions or rejections regarding the proposed road development.
This morning’s session began with a submission in favour of the proposed road development by former Galway County Councillor Sean O Neachtain.
Addressing the hearing in Irish, Mr O Neachtain said he had supported the road development since it was initially proposed as a bypass 40 years ago.
He said the road is essential to the economic viability and longevity of Connemara by providing access to essential employment sectors.
After Mr O Neachtain, several submissions were presented against the proposed ring road.
Deirdre Goggins from Ballindooley questioned who the preferred route is preferred by and added that demolishing 54 homes along the route is like as wiping out an entire village.
She said it’s nonsense that stand alone sustainable transport solutions could not ease traffic in the city, and described the benefits of the proposed development as spurious at best.
Neighbours Audrey Dineen and Maura O’Connell, from Barna made a passionate statement on the impact the process has had on them so far.
Ms O’Connell questioned if the applicant could guarantee that the development would not lead to possible flooding, due to the development of two attenuation ponds at Truskey.
Tony Cawley of ARUP consultants said the ponds are designed to deal with excesses of water and added that flooding would not occur.
Ms O’Connell presented a letter to the hearing from Galway County Council stating that flooding from the attenuation ponds was possible.
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