Council vote on new Westside Tesco

Fey!

snubbleste wrote: »

City councillors have voted 8 to 7 in favour of the controversial rezoning of a site on the Rahoon/Seamus Quirke Road.

Any idea who voted what way? The only ones who seemed to be for it at the meeting were councillors Keane and Crowe, with others such as Lyons sitting on the fence, Conneely and McNelis being uncharacteristicly quiet, both Connollys, O'Flaherty and Naughton being against, and I couldn't figure out Fahy. McDonnell didn't bother to appear, possibly because it had nothing to do with Mervue United. At least Cameron had sent apologies. If Nolan, Crowe #2 and Costello were there I didn't see or hear them.

snubbleste

I've no idea..we'll just have to wait for TristianPeter's journalistic skills to come to the fore or tune in to a local news bulletin in the morning.

I'm so cynical that I'm wondering if there is a stationary shop selling decent brown envelopes nearby.

TristanPeter

The meeting started at 4pm sharp and it went on for two and a half hours. They only got around to voting for the rezoning of the site in question in the last 30 minutes which I thought was strange given that it was a pretty important issue. It meant that the individual councillor's views were very rushed with calls for "time" from the mayor being voiced a lot. It was actually Collette Connolly who asked for it to be left to the end so that it could be dealt with properly, as in, all the other issues could be gotten out of the way. It seemed strange to me; dealing with things like alltoments in Shantalla as opposed to rezoning land in Shantalla for a "hyper-market" as it was put. IMO it seemed like a diversion tactic because ot the little amount of time given to the voicing of views on the matter.

Padraig Conneeley can REALLY talk! Holy sh*t. He more or less spent the whole meeting sparring with the city manager who was completely over-powered. The council officials were brain-dead zombies in general. I left with the feeling that the city councillors aren't actually that bad...it's because they can't get any straight answers from the City Manager, Director of Services etc. that they are completely frustrated.

Catherine Connolly and Collette Connolly were against it (no surprise really). Billy Cameron was against it. McNellis was against. Nuala Nolan was against. She wanted to see manufacturing in there. Naughton was against it, and she put forward some very interesting and valid reasons for her decision.

McDonnell, O'Flaherty, Crowe (x 2), Conneely, Keane and Lyons were all for it. I can't remember how Costello voted. I could be mixing him up with McDonnell because I couldn't see or hear very well thanks to some women in the crowd who just talked and talked throughout the whole meeting.

celty

Shocking result. This was not a victory for local democracy, it was a victory for local politicans and one of their cronies (and ex-FF Mayor too).

No wonder this country and city are in a mess.

I was amazed by one FF man in the media last week, he wasn't voting for it because he thought it was a good idea ... he was counting up the votes to see how popular it was with his neighbours. Is that what rezoning is all about? Pleasing an ex-Mayor? Putting a shopping centre into a place where there isn't proper infrastructure in place?

Walk down Shantalla Road and see how local businesses have already been wiped out. Tesco will follow their UK model, putting in a 'hypermarket' while destroying local family businesses.

Fair play to the protestors who kicked up over this after the city councillors tried to sneak it through last January.

This was a great night for local democracy. A vote for a rezoning which is against the wishes of officials, but all about looking after a former colleague. And on the same night a refusal to even allow David Norris to attend a Council meeting to address the members.

No wonder people think GCC is a joke.

awesome, I'm delighted

as for local businesses, they adjust & adapt or fade away. These are the same local businesses that charge through the nose for everyday shopping so I have zero pity for them

I don't care what anyone says, competition is good for the consumer

oh and not to mention the jobs boost this will bring to westside

doubleglaze

The location is completely unsuitable. Traffic is already a nightmare there. I can't believe this got through. WTF were they thinking?

emptybladder

FFS it's not like Tesco have gotten the go ahead. Yes, rezoning will make it easier to secure planning permission, but they haven't applied for that yet.

antoobrien

celty wrote: »

Shocking result. This was not a victory for local democracy, it was a victory for local politicans and one of their cronies (and ex-FF Mayor too).

No wonder this country and city are in a mess.

Since you haven't noticed celty, the GCC has been under FG+Lab+PD/Green control for the previous two city councils (this is the 3rd year I believe of this term). There's the usual undercurrent of nonsense in blaming FF for everything, but they can't be blamed for everything that happened for the past 10 years in Galway.

FG & Labour have a lot to answer for as well when it comes to planning in Galway.

TristanPeter

Just a few other points from the meeting:

Peter Keane and Conneely both mentioned a survey they did of the residents and business of the area. Keane said he was going door to door over a number of days (8 hours last Saturday) and Conneely had a signed petition with 460 signatures on it all of people in the area who had no objection to it. I don't know how unbiased it was but that's what they said. Keane was pretty adamant that most of the businesses he visited in the area were for the development.

Naughton and the planners were concerned that because the site will now have the same zoning (district area i think they called it) as the Knocknacarra area (Dunnes, B & Q etc.) that this development was less likely to conclude phase 2 and phase 3. These phases haven't progressed in years anyway so I don't know how true this is.

The whole meeting should have been dedicated to this issue...not to filling in the hole where the Solas cinema is meant to be (whilst important in itself) and opening the other lane on Dock Road. Then again, it seemed that the councilors all had their minds made up. The table was actually divided in two from what i could see. Against all sat on the right whilst the for votes all sat on the left.

dloob

and it's all thanks to a Catherine Connolly hissy fit
We go from a rejected rezoning proposal to an accepted one plus the legal costs of the court challenge all because of the difficulty a councillor frequently has accepting things that don't go her way.

Is this Tesco planned to be in addition to the current one in the Galway Shopping Center or as a replacement?

I know they had plans to expand in the GSC as part of the overall redevelopment but I guess this is on ice for the moment.

antoobrien

Deleted User wrote: »

Is this Tesco planned to be in addition to the current one in the Galway Shopping Center or as a replacement?

I know they had plans to expand in the GSC as part of the overall redevelopment but I guess this is on ice for the moment.

Probably addition to. They (I think through intermediaties) were refused PP for a site in Briarhill (other side of the roundabout from Dunnes & KFC).

TristanPeter

dloob wrote: »

and it's all thanks to a Catherine Connolly hissy fit
We go from a rejected rezoning proposal to an accepted one plus the legal costs of the court challenge all because of the difficulty a councillor frequently has accepting things that don't go her way.

This would have been my thoughts on the matter exactly but Padraig Conneely had a very different view. He kept shouting (yes shouting) at the City Manager that it was his fault the council have a €100,000 legal bill because of Catherine Connolly's inability to follow protocol, despite being in the legal profession. The City Manager said he wasn't even at the meeting to which Conneely replied "but you should have made us aware of the our actions. It's your fault! You failed us and it sost the council €100k (paraphrased slightly)" He never mentioned Catherine Connolly and she certialnly didn't get involved, only at a much later stage to correct a minor mistake. Very very strange I thought.

dloob

TristanPeter wrote: »

This would have been my thoughts on the matter exactly but Padraig Conneely had a very different view. He kept shouting (yes shouting) at the City Manager that it was his fault the council have a €100,000 legal bill because of Catherine Connolly's inability to follow protocol, despite being in the legal profession. The City Manager said he wasn't even at the meeting to which Conneely replied "but you should have made us aware of the our actions. It's your fault! You failed us and it sost the council €100k (paraphrased slightly)" He never mentioned Catherine Connolly and she certialnly didn't get involved, only at a much later stage to correct a minor mistake. Very very strange I thought.

Ahh Conneely never misses a chance to take swipes at the council staff.
It's why they all refused to work with him for a few months.

snubbleste

So TristianPeter, would ye go to such a meeting again?

TristanPeter

snubbleste wrote: »

So TristianPeter, would ye go to such a meeting again?

Yeah sure. It was entertaining at least. Cheaper than buying a cinema ticket. I think I'll bring a bottle of Bucky to the next one though. Probably wouldn't be the only one. Both Padraig Conneely and Collette Connolly seemed like they had two bottles of the stuff each on board at yesterday's meeting. They were full of energy...amongst other things

(Better add in I'm joking here in case I get a mod warning.)

Mrs OBumble

celty wrote: »

Tesco will follow their UK model, putting in a 'hypermarket' while destroying local family businesses.

Local businesses, like Dunnes Stores perhaps? :rolleyes:

_Whimsical_

JustMary wrote: »

Local businesses, like Dunnes Stores perhaps? :rolleyes:

Dunnes, Super Valu, Joyces. At least they buy and stock more Irish sourced produce. It would be a big loss in all manner of respects if they were edged out of the Galway market.

Tristin Peter : thanks for the report. Was interesting to hear what went on from the point of view of a spectator.

emptybladder

JustMary wrote: »

Local businesses, like Dunnes Stores perhaps? :rolleyes:

No. Like Peter Murphy's, Divilly's, Fine Wines etc.

beardybrewer

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Dunnes ... edged out of the Galway market.

Dunnes owns the Galway market! They also have the worst prices of the lot. Irish or not, screw those guys if they can't compete.

gandroid

dloob wrote: »

and it's all thanks to a Catherine Connolly hissy fit
We go from a rejected rezoning proposal to an accepted one plus the legal costs of the court challenge all because of the difficulty a councillor frequently has accepting things that don't go her way.

Does someone have a reference to reports/history of this particular matter (Connolly). I'd like a read of it myself. Thanks.

TristanPeter

gandroid wrote: »

Does someone have a reference to reports/history of this particular matter (Connolly). I'd like a read of it myself. Thanks.

At Monday's council meeting, some of the councillors, especially Collette Connolly were all over the minutes from the previous meeting. These minutes should be publicly available. They should have the full details of what happened exactly. Ask for a copy from the City Council.

gandroid

Well what's the gist of what Catherine Connolly done that incurred these legal costs?

Robbo

gandroid wrote: »

Well what's the gist of what Catherine Connolly done that incurred these legal costs?

At the original meeting over planning for this, she was involved in some row or other and a vote was taken to exclude her from the meeting. It was passed. She stayed and voted on the matter, despite this. The development was turned down. I think the majority was 8-7 due to the mayor using a casting vote to turn it down but I'm open to correction on this.

The upshot of this is that O hUiginn took a Judicial Review of the decision and it was found that the vote was flawed as Connolly shouldn't have been there, much less voted on it. The Council are on the hook for 2/3 of the costs of this, which the local rags are putting at €80-100k.

celty

It was actually the then Mayor, Mike Crowe, who left the meeting in a 'hissy fit' after his row with Catherine Connolly. Therefore the vote ended 7-7 (there are 15 councillors) and it was decided on the casting vote of Deputy Mayor Brian Walsh, now a Galway West TD (FG).

That led to Micheal O hUiginn taking a legal action against the Council, claiming that the original vote in January was invalid because Cllr Connolly should have been absent from the meeting.

By the way, I'm amazed by the blatant populism of Cllr Peter Keane (FF) on this. He told the City Tribune last Friday that he would make up his mind on this over the weekend, depending on how many of his neighbours were for or against it. Nothing to do with proper planning and infrastructure, and all to do with whether or not it was popular with the voters. Frankeen or Bertie would be proud of the young FFer!

Diom

Action plan for opposition? From what I read here there is no option to appeal the planning submission?

emptybladder

Diom wrote: »

Action plan for opposition? From what I read here there is no option to appeal the planning submission?

Incorrect. When the application is eventually made, it can be objected to, and any subsequent decision can be appealed. But it does stand a stronger chance of being approved because of the zoning.

TristanPeter

emptybladder wrote: »

Incorrect. When the application is eventually made, it can be objected to, and any subsequent decision can be appealed. But it does stand a stronger chance of being approved because of the zoning.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens when it does come to the actual planning application because the town planners were against it, and they strongly advised the councillors at the meeting not to rezone this land. They said Shantalla is not an area of population growth whereas Knocknacarra and Briarhill are. I'd say the planners will give O'huiggins a hard time, and rightly so if they were correct to encourage a no vote.

I think it was O'Flaherty who said that when it comes to the planning process it's up to the locals to be very vigilant with regard to landscaping, noise (underground generators), parking etc. I just hope they have a better entrance/exit than the Briarhill centre. Actually, now that I mention that particular debacle, I wouldn't have much faith in the town planners with regard to this development.

dloob

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Dunnes, Super Valu, Joyces. At least they buy and stock more Irish sourced produce. It would be a big loss in all manner of respects if they were edged out of the Galway market.

Tristin Peter : thanks for the report. Was interesting to hear what went on from the point of view of a spectator.

Can't remember the last time I bought a coke in joyces that wasn't covered in made in gb logos.
Still their use of uk suppliers means they have cherry coke!
Shame for tuam I suppose.