[Article] Public submissions on Ceannt Station sought

NavanJunction1

Public submissions on Ceannt Station sought
Michelle McDonagh, Irish Times
02/05/2006

The public are being invited to send submissions to CIÉ about the major €750 million redevelopment of Ceannt Station, Galway city's main rail and bus terminus in Eyre Square.


An international team of consultants, led by architects Murray O'Laoire, has been commissioned to draw up a plan for the redevelopment of the 14 acre site. The development will include new bus and rail facilities, a major retail, office and possibly a residential development.

The team will also consider the purchase of the Great Southern Hotel, which could be worth around €40 million, and assess whether there is a benefit in having the site as part of the development.

However, Green Party city councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin is insistent that CIÉ's plans to redevelop the station must include protecting the Great Southern Hotel.

"While there is a clear need to develop Galway city's mainline railway station in a positive way to cater for the Western Rail Corridor, there is a real need to preserve the major heritage aspects of the overall site and that very much includes the Great Southern Hotel," said Cllr Ó Brolcháin.

The 14 acre CIÉ holding at Eyre Square includes the existing train and bus station as well as the railyard and bus depot. The company are currently advertising their proposal in advance of completing an urban design master plan for the station.

"The purpose of the urban design master plan will be to generate a new vision for Ceannt Station. A vision that optimises the potential of the site as a new mixed-use quarter in the city and positively contributes to the vitality and atmosphere of the city centre and its waterfront," their public notice states.

The bus and rail station will have state-of-the-art passenger facilities in the new development, such as extra platforms, waiting facilities, a bar and a restaurant. The bus station will double in size to 25 bays, and rail platforms will increase to three from just one.

CIÉ is now inviting interested parties or individuals to make suggestions or to forward ideas for review by the team.

Submissions may be made in writing up to 4pm on Friday, May 19th.

They should be marked Ceannt Station master plan, Murray O'Laoire Architects, Fumbally Court, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8 or they can be e-mailed to dublin@murrayolaoire.com.

© The Irish Times

Transport21 Fan

NavanJunction1 wrote:

The bus and rail station will have state-of-the-art passenger facilities in the new development, such as extra platforms, waiting facilities, a bar and a restaurant. The bus station will double in size to 25 bays, and rail platforms will increase to three from just one.

Sounds the business - this was to be more or less the submission a group of us was going to make, but no reason to bother now. If ever a station in Ireland had fantastic potential for public transport integration Galway is it. The 25 bay bus station is badly needed. The current arrangement is a nightmare for passengers and drivers.

This is real public transport development for the West. Connacht commuters will actually use this in serious numbers when the Oranmore/Athenry commuter rail services starts up. The QBC planned for Tuam and Claregalway will benefit from this greatly as well. 750M is a serious investment and what a location to make the most of it too.

dowlingm

Seems to me like the GSH group is a millstone. Didn't that crowd in Shannon that train chefs own it for a while, then Aer Rianta? It's like pass the parcel in the semi-states. Maybe ESB should own it next.

Ideally of course the City of Galway would own the station and then private buses etc. could utilise the facilities... god I crack myself up with my sense of humour! :rolleyes:

Chris_533976

Lol I thought this was about Kent station in Cork but badly spelt

Victor

Transport21 Fan wrote:

Sounds the business - this was to be more or less the submission a group of us was going to make, but no reason to bother now.

Do, even if its a one page letter saying "we support X, Y, Z". That way they can't change their mind based on "nobody supported that element".

Victor

Ah yes, build 2,000+ car parking spaces but provide as little solid information as possible.

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/news_centre/general_news.asp?action=view&news_id=239

Ceannt Station Quarter - a new Transport Hub and Urban Quarter for Galway by Corporate Communications

CIÉ has unveiled a major €1 billion plan to develop a new world-class transport interchange for the West of Ireland at Galway’s Ceannt Station, at the heart of a new urban quarter for the city.

Rail and bus service expansion
Rail and bus services are set to expand dramatically under the Transport 21 investment programme, funded by the Irish Government, including developments such as:
- Hourly peak, and two-hourly off-peak Galway-Dublin Intercity rail services
- Opening of Western Rail Corridor providing direct Galway-Limerick and Galway-Mayo rail services
- Provision of Galway commuter rail services
- New and enhanced Bus Éireann Expressway and local services
- Increased frequency and improved city bus services
By 2015, rail demand is projected to increase as a result of the enhanced services from 1.25 million journeys through the station annually to 3 million. Bus passengers will also more than double from 1.8 million to almost 4 million.


A new transport hub at the heart of Galway
To cater for these new and enhanced services and growth in demand, Ceannt Station will be developed into a world-class transport interchange for the West of Ireland in the heart of Galway city.
The integrated facility will enhance rail capacity through the development of three full-length platforms, allowing for Intercity and Commuter service expansion.
A total of 25 dedicated bus bays will be provided at the interchange to facilitate the expected increase in bus passengers.
As well as enhanced public transport links to Ceannt Station, approximately 500 parking spaces dedicated for public transport users will be available, and enhanced set-down facilities for cars, and rank facilities for taxis will also be provided.
Iarnród Éireann Architects have proposed a station design in keeping with the great European ‘cathedral’ stations, with a vaulted roof structure to give a customer-friendly environment maximising light and space. Buildings such as Berlin’s new train station and London’s British Museum have utilised this approach to dramatic effect.


Ceannt Station Quarter – a new Urban Quarter for Galway
The new transport interchange will be at the heart of the 5.97 hectare CIÉ property, presenting a unique opportunity to create an exemplar of urban design in this most cosmopolitan yet distinctly Irish city.
The proposed development of ‘Ceannt Station Quarter’ will deliver to the people of Galway a new city quarter which will complement and enhance the existing Galway City area. A vibrant, mixed-use quarter is envisaged, encapsulating:
- Cultural and community facilities, enhancing Galway’s standing as Ireland’s cultural capital
- New homes in the City, through 800 residential units, including social and affordable housing
- New squares and pedestrianised zones, to ensure that the unique ambience of Galway extends into the new quarter
- Urban retail and commercial facilities, to enhance the economic development of the city, and provide employment
- Leisure facilities, to benefit the city and wider West of Ireland region
- Bars, restaurants and hotels, boosting the social and tourism infrastructure of the city and region
- Existing protected structures, which will be preserved and incorporate into the new Ceannt Station Quarter
- High quality, environmentally sustainable urban design, with energy saving technology Ceannt Station Quarter will be a crossroads in the city of Galway, linking the medieval core of the city with the harbour front.
The land use and planning policy framework for the development of Ceannt Station Quarter are supported by a range of national, regional and local guidelines and plans, including:
- National Spatial Strategy 2004
- Regional Planning Guidelines for the West Region 2004
- Galway City Development Plan 2005-2011
- Galway Transportation and Planning Study 1999 and Integration Study 2002
- Retail Strategy for Galway City 2002
- Retail Planning Guidelines for 2005


Next Steps
CIÉ will now prepare a planning application for Ceannt Station Quarter.
It is expected that the application will be lodged in September of this year, and will include public consultation on the plans.
It is hoped that construction on the site can commence in 2008, with the transport interchange to be developed first.
Furthermore, the company will immediately advertise to seek expressions of interest from developers to deliver commercial components of scheme, which will totally finance the investment in public transport and social infrastructure in Ceannt Station Quarter.
Dr John Lynch, Chairman of CIÉ, said of Ceannt Quarter “we in CIÉ look forward to delivering to the people of Galway and the West of Ireland the best possible transport facilities, and a new urban quarter which complements and enhances the best of Galway.”
For a brochure with images of Ceannt Station Quarter, please click here.


Ceannt Station Quarter – facts and figures
Site Area - circa 6 hectares (14.75ac)
Value - €1 billion
Investment in Public transport Infrastructure - €85m
Investment in Social Infrastructure (public spaces and cultural facilities) - €45m
Gross Direct Employment potential of scheme - 3,500 jobs
Car spaces for public transport users - 500
Gross Office Floorspace - 23,000m2
Gross Retail Floorspace - 37,000m2
Residential Units - circa 800
Car spaces for commercial and residential uses - 1,555

yabadabado

what did u expect typical of cie/gov.

bjd

if its any consolation, here in cork we were promised 21 million to redevelop the station and turn it round to face the quays and integrate the bus office

2 years later that has changed into a 4 million lick of paint, no integration of the bus and no changing the station around, instead leaving it face onto a poorly congested road. Instead CIE applied for a 24 storey building on the site adjacent, even though they knew another company had been refused a 17 storey building next door. They continued to persist and were refused outright due to ........

lack of detailed proposals for the rebuilding of the station

Marty Cullen - twit

How could anyone for for M cullen and Dick roche in the next election -

Tadhg17

MORE QUESTIONS FOR CIE ON CEANNT STATION PLANS
Tue 6th November 2007
A City Councillor's calling on representatives of C.I.E to come before the City Council and explain their plans for Ceannt Railway Station.

Councillor Billy Cameron wants an explanation as to why they are selling off surplus land around the station for retail use rather then keeping the land to further develop the rail system in Galway.

He's accusing C.I.E of greed as he says they will make substantial financial gains from selling the lands.

Councillor Cameron feels C.I.E's plans for the station don't take account of the future transport needs of Galway.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/1827-more-questions-cie-ceannt-station-plans



I have been reading from different sources that between only a quarter or a third of Ceannt Bus and Rail station in Galway will be redeveloped for public transport. The rest will be developed for retail and apartments. They will only build three platforms at the train station. How can they build new platforms to cope with future commuter growth if all remaining space is converted into apartments and a retail area? Looks like this deal was made up in some tent at the Galway Races.....

Michael D Higgins has been very critical of the plans in various newspapers and on the radio in the past few months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-srzx0cJ__Q

paulm17781

It's the CIE way! They did the same with Spencer dock in Dublin. :mad:

Ste.phen

paulm17781 wrote: »

It's the CIE way! They did the same with Spencer dock in Dublin. :mad:

Which is a damn shame, the current station there barely meets current needs, and the current needs were manufactured by CIÉ!

John R

Are these plans available anywhere to view? They are not on the Council planning website.

CIE do own a substantial chunk of land there, plenty of room to build a good Rail and bus station, new bus garage at the rear and more than enough room for retail and residential development.

The first 3 need to be prioritised, if they are allowed sell off chunks to developers first it will severely limit the possibilities of the transport requiments being met.

galwayrush

I don't see any problem with only 3 Platforms. we'll only ever have a Train going East, the North and South routes (whenever that happens ) and they still have to go as far as Athenry to change. A light Rail for Galway looks unlikely, as low density sprawl will never be viable, and if it ever did happen, how many routes would go through Ceannt Station? 2, 3?
Look at Manchester Airport Train Station, 4 Platforms, over 20 direct destinations.

Victor

John - any idea what the red bits are?

Councillor Billy Cameron wants an explanation as to why they are selling off surplus land around the station for retail use rather then keeping the land to further develop the rail system in Galway.

How much land is needed? By the looks of things, they have a large amount of land that is used as parking or disused goods siding.

He's accusing C.I.E of greed as he says they will make substantial financial gains from selling the lands.

Shock horror! Money that is needed for reinvestment in the short term. Money that is needed to build the extra platforms to provide extra Intercity and a start-up commuter service.

Councillor Cameron feels C.I.E's plans for the station don't take account of the future transport needs of Galway

What are these needs? How does the existing land fit with those needs and does a large amount of dead land in the city centre help anything?

John R

Victor wrote: »

John - any idea what the red bits are?

I took the image straight from the Galway City Council planning website. They have a rather good map based system for looking up planning applications, all the red dots refer to seperate applications. Not sure what the shaded areas represent, development zones of some sort I suppose.

Only 3 of the planning applications are on CIE land and they are all trivial.

http://gis.galwaycity.ie/pro_planningenquiry/default.aspx (works on MSIE only)

galwayrush

Victor wrote: »

John - any idea what the red bits are?

How much land is needed? By the looks of things, they have a large amount of land that is used as parking or disused goods siding.

Shock horror! Money that is needed for reinvestment in the short term. Money that is needed to build the extra platforms to provide extra Intercity and a start-up commuter service.

What are these needs? How does the existing land fit with those needs and does a large amount of dead land in the city centre help anything?

Well said, exactly how i feel.
It's bold, exciting and in a part of town that can take high density.

spacetweek

galwayrush wrote: »

A light Rail for Galway looks unlikely, as low density sprawl will never be viable

With the city nearing 100,000 people, surely they could support at least one line? Light rail is suitable for low to medium density areas, and they could add apartment schemes alongside a la Luas.

Victor

spacetweek wrote: »

With the city nearing 100,000 people, surely they could support at least one line? Light rail is suitable for low to medium density areas, and they could add apartment schemes alongside a la Luas.

Light rail is not suitable for the type of low densities in Galway, what with fields and bogs and stuff in the city. Compare the maps on this thread: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055004323

Amazotheamazing

spacetweek wrote: »

With the city nearing 100,000 people, surely they could support at least one line? Light rail is suitable for low to medium density areas, and they could add apartment schemes alongside a la Luas.

Thought Galway's population was 70,000 and that includes virtually all the big suburbs? Really don't see how light rail would work in Galway, the cost compared to the numbers that would use it just don't seem to add up.

T Corolla

I had a look at the irish rail website in regards to the stations development and post 2015 it looks like there will be a direct connection to roscommon and longford. I cannot see this as been viable. CIE will have to purchase alot of miles of land. Am i reading it right

Victor

Where does it say that? Perhaps a bus link.