Galway Bay fm newsroom - The oral hearing into a proposed 100 million euro development at Galway docks has been told that the project will help to ease Galway’s housing crisis.
The hearing is taking place at the Clayton Hotel this week after a number of appeals were lodged with An Bord Pleanala after the City Council's decision to give the project the green light.
This afternoon, the An Bord Pleanála hearing at the Clayton Hotel has been told that the disputed office and mixed use development needs to be considered as part of a wider framework which includes a separate application for a major student accommodation development.
The developer has told An Bord Pleanala Inspector Brid Maxwell that the 30% requirement for residential accommodation is fulfilled when the two applications are viewed as part of an overall framework for the Bonham Quay site.
Bonham Dock Ltd says this would ease Galway’s housing crisis by freeing up rental accommodation across the city.
During an opening presentation at today's hearing, An Bord Pleanala has heard that the project would be akin to Dublin's IFSC.
Representatives for Bonham Docks Ltd have said the project would result in the regeneration of a derelict, brownfield site which hasn't been used in years and could be opened up to the public, and to major investment opportunities by addressing Galway's shortage of office space.
The hearing has also today heard that public transport users and cyclists will be prioritised over private cars to minimise the traffic impact.
The mixed use development, which will include four 7 and 8 storey office blocks, would have a commuter centre and around 3 times more bike parking than car parking.
The developer Bonham Dock Ltd says it’s following trends in other cities, where employees are becoming more likely to request showers and bike parking than a car parking space.
Day one of the hearing today has been dominated by evidence from the developer's representatives.
Tomorrow, it'll likely focus on the appellants, who've raised a variety of concerns about the Bonham Quay plans.
The oral hearing will resume at the Clayton Hotel at 10 tomorrow morning.
