Finally, consensus in Knocnacarra/divisions healed.

gaillimheach

A very significant meeting took place in the Clybaun Hotel last Thursday night.

People had gathered together to discuss Galway City Council's lastest bizarre proposal to allow the Moritz Group build houses on the existing Millar's Lane football pitches and to relocate the football pitches over to a corner of the Business District (where the new Dunnes Stores is) where Bóthar Stiofáin meets the Rahoon Road. The proposal is also that the long-proposed Knocknacarra Community Centre would be relocated to the same area.

Everyone present, with no exception (these included members from right across the political spectrum, Donal Lyons, Daniel Callanan, Catherine Connolly...), agreed that this was unrealistic and unacceptable. In current recessionary times, there is no way that the monies could ever be found to fund such an ambitious project; people are suspicious of developer-led planning and, finally, all present agreed that the best solution would be to build a scaled-down community centre in Cappagh Park which is already in City Council ownership. There is an area, just inside the entrance to Cappagh Park where it was originally intended to build a swimming-pool by Public-Private Partnership and which is now available for a scaled-down community centre which can realistically be built for a million euro. (This is that mound-like area to the right with a pathway curving around it)

All present at the meeting were urged to oppose the plan, the details of which are suavely laid out in the following City Council document:
http://www.galwaycity.ie/TopNews/UploadFile,5427,en.pdf

Please oppose developer-lead "planning" on or before the 19th March (Thursday) by e-mailing the Senior Planner at:
devplan@galwaycity.ie

Finally, after several years of division, the people of Knocknacarra are united that they want the community centre back in Knocknacarra proper, not in the entirely distinct and separate suburb of Rahoon.

3fullback

gaillimheach wrote: »

A very significant meeting took place in the Clybaun Hotel last Thursday night.

People had gathered together to discuss Galway City Council's lastest bizarre proposal to allow the Moritz Group build houses on the existing Millar's Lane football pitches and to relocate the football pitches over to a corner of the Business District (where the new Dunnes Stores is) where Bóthar Stiofáin meets the Rahoon Road. The proposal is also that the long-proposed Knocknacarra Community Centre would be relocated to the same area.

Everyone present, with no exception (these included members from right across the political spectrum, Donal Lyons, Daniel Callanan, Catherine Connolly...), agreed that this was unrealistic and unacceptable. In current recessionary times, there is no way that the monies could ever be found to fund such an ambitious project; people are suspicious of developer-led planning and, finally, all present agreed that the best solution would be to build a scaled-down community centre in Cappagh Park which is already in City Council ownership. There is an area, just inside the entrance to Cappagh Park where it was originally intended to build a swimming-pool by Public-Private Partnership and which is now available for a scaled-down community centre which can realistically be built for a million euro. (This is that mound-like area to the right with a pathway curving around it)

All present at the meeting were urged to oppose the plan, the details of which are suavely laid out in the following City Council document:
http://www.galwaycity.ie/TopNews/UploadFile,5427,en.pdf

Please oppose developer-lead "planning" on or before the 19th March (Thursday) by e-mailing the Senior Planner at:
devplan@galwaycity.ie

Finally, after several years of division, the people of Knocknacarra are united that they want the community centre back in Knocknacarra proper, not in the entirely distinct and separate suburb of Rahoon.

i agree ....;);) but where are they proposing to build the community center if the development does not go ahead

gaillimheach

Galway City Council need to be encouraged by us all to get out of bed with the developers and build a scaled-down/realistically priced Community Centre in the most obvious place: Cappagh Park, where they already own the site.

3fullback

gaillimheach wrote: »

Galway City Council need to be encouraged by us all to get out of bed with the developers and build a scaled-down/realistically priced Community Centre in the most obvious place: Cappagh Park, where they already own the site.

oh right sound ....

moonflower

That's good, hopefully there'll be toilets in there, because Cappagh park is badly in need of some. It could do with a few more bins too, I had to wander around for 10 minutes to find one yesterday and when I did the top was nailed shut!

gaillimheach

Only bin that I know of in Cappagh Park is near the children's playground.

I walk my dogs there regularly and just bring the plastic bags with their waste in it home.

I've noticed, on 3 occasions in the last year, people dumping household rubbish in the bushes (it's possibly the same idiot). I'd fear that more bins= more people dumping household rubbish in them to avoid refuse charges.

In relation to toilets, I've had to direct a few people to the bushes in the past. Not ideal.

galvianlord

to look at the title of this thread you would swear it was a plenary session of the United Nations that had assembled to right some awful wrong....what exactly is the issue?

it reads like the option that gets you the desired end is being discarded because of some lefty bull**** philosophy and now youre calling on a bankrupt city council to enter into a whole new arrangement to get the thing through! and as for the three stooges of councillors you mention...well....if they're with you god help you, god know what will ever get done with them on your bandwagon!

the developer-led planning you are so scared of doesnt exist, certainly not in Galway....if it did things might actually have been done in the last ten years! private enterprise is the only thing that has managed to accomplish things over the past ten years!

Robbo

Is this the community centre Pat Joyce was supposed to build as part of the planning conditions for his supermarket?

snubbleste

Robbo wrote: »

Is this the community centre Pat Joyce was supposed to build as part of the planning conditions for his supermarket?

You made me laugh

galvianlord

I guess this answers my questions for me, looks like the thing will not now ever be built, although Callanan seems to be speaking some sense for a change, as for the other two loonies....:

Further knock-back for Knocknacarra Community Centre

Written by Declan Rooney

Wednesday, 18 March 2009


Council plans for a land-swap rezoning deal involving Millar's Lane pitches, which was to facilitate the construction of a new community centre for Knocknacarra, look increasingly unlikely to get the go-ahead.

A deal was proposed by the planning department in the council involving developers Moritz who currently own land in the vicinity of the Millar's lane site. However, the majority of people attending a public meeting on the issue in the Clybaun hotel were against the proposal.

People in the area are concerned about the rezoning of the Millar's Lane pitches from recreational use to residential, which at some point in the future could see additional housing being built in the area. The community centre was originally proposed for Millar's Lane but has been pencilled in for the new site at the junction of Bothar Stiofan and the Old Rahoon Road.

Speaking at the information night, Cllr Catherine Connolly outlined her opposition to the plans for the Knocknacarra area and insisted Millar's Lane green area was a vital part of the suburb.

"Personally I think it's absurd to rezone recreational land. Millar's Lane is recreational – people are used to that. It is an essential green area and should be left like that. I appeal to the public to put in their submissions on the issue.

"I don't think it will be rezoned if the people get together and speak out against management. This is a testing-out by the management. It is a plan that is developer-led and developer-driven for the good of the developer rather than the good of the city."

Her views are shared by Knocknacarra resident Cllr Donal Lyons, who also attended the information evening.

"There is a shortage of amenity zoned land in the area and none should be lost to developers for the building of more houses. Amenity land is sacrosanct and should not be sacrificed," said Cllr Lyons.

"Having spoken to many of those who attended the presentations and met with residents living in the area, there is no support for any plan which would see the Millar's Lane pitches lost. The local residents are totally against this and will oppose any such plan.

"It is vitally important that the public should make submissions on the proposals to the Senior Planner, Planning Department, City Hall, College Road, Galway on or before 19 March," he said.

Cllr Daniel Callanan – who is due to run for election in the Galway City West area in the upcoming elections – also voiced his opposition to the deal, but suggested an agreement could be reached should developers Moritz be forthcoming with funding for the centre.

"The cost of the deal is exorbitant; where will the funding come from to build this community centre?" he asked.

"There is also an alternative site available in Cappagh Park. If the developers were going to give us a substantial sum of money for the rezoning of the land it possibly could be a runner.

"We have a two-acre site beside the pitches in Cappagh Park, which is owned by the city council where you could build a smaller, centre rather than the pie in the sky plans like we have seen before. This won't be delivered and the people know it won't be delivered. The council themselves know it won't be delivered because there is not a bob in City Hall."