Looks like this development is getting the green light. Will be handy for NUIG students
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2022/11/08/dunnes-fails-to-stop-student-accommodation-scheme-in-galway/
I'm not sure if you even read what I wrote before you posted.
Sprawl? These are short-term student accommodation - in other words; proposed short-term lets which won't in any way lead to sustainable accommodation for our own. Also, a lot of the students at Universities are non-EU bearing in mind Ireland's notoriously lax student Visa system and the unsustainable third-level business model and the Irish Government looks to deregulate planning laws to allow building over a car park at Dunnes Stores in Westside Shopping Centre, Galway! I also wonder if these units might be converted into a centre for asylum seekers at some point in the future. This development is also an over-intensification of this area of Rahoon Galway despite experts previously warning the Government about the dangers of over-intensification.
They should be made take down all of the SHD's that An Bord Pleanala gave approval for over the last 6 years which resulted in an over-intensification of areas. India recently demolished 100-metre skyscrapers outside for 850 flats as stern warning to developers amid rampant bad planning practice. This could be done here also only it would declare the SHD's retroactively. It would of course be resisted by Leo Varadkar because it would show up his bad policies under Fine Gael.
"the minority who want carparking should consider some of the many other accommodation offerings"
It's not like students have a range of options like 20 years ago. They'll snap up wherever they can secure.
Haha yes because the students will be lighting Bon fires and joyriding!
Less than half of Irish 18-24 year olds hold a driving license. And, for the minority that do hold a license, it does not automatically follow that they have the use of their own car. This block will make up a tiny fraction of the total accommodation taken up by students in Galway. If no carparking is offered at this block then logically the minority who want carparking should consider some of the many other accommodation offerings. And students who don't need carparking will probably find this new block attractive for its proximity to the college and to other amenities.
Trying to draw parallels between a high-end student accommodation block and the Rahoon flats is beyond grasping at straws.
I can respect where Mike Cubbard is coming from but that's just comical.
This proposed development is a far cry from the Rahoon flats for goodness sake.
As for arguments about the proposed height - if all buildings have to be restricted to 3 or less floors, then we will be making the traffic worse, as it means more sprawl, people living farther away from city/university/shops who have to drive
Student accommodation there is the perfect spot - you can walk to shops, walk to college, walk to town. You will never need to drive anywhere if you live in this proposed development.
Anyone who knows this area will tell you about the former Rahoon Flats in Westside that were once nearby. The area at the time had rampant crime, illegal bonfires, joyriding, and other social problems.
This is not that. Why you want to make it so is just weird.
I hope An Taisce appeals this via a Judicial Review. I can't believe An Bord Pleanala actually gave the approval to allow a developer build over a Car Park!!
Definitely, the next Government needs to introduce legislation that would enable previous planning approvals by An Bord Pleanala to be revoked and demolished. Other Countries do this.
The middle of the hospital has six stories.
But at the back end, which is across the street from this, it is back to single and two story. Just outside the hospital, the building Fine Wines is in has three stories.
Very different to seven.
Did he really say that? He seems to have an issue with more people and their cars moving into the area, specifically 'with short-term lettings, cars parking on junctions causing absolute chaos, and these car-parkers don't give an absolute toss about the area' .
I don't personally have any issue with the development but I think when he said "out of character" he didn't mean the rich visuals of the local area, he meant the height of the building. A seven story building right on the main road is a big departure from the current layout of the land.
"I'd say it will be an issue though. Ideally the Council and building owners would work together on it but I doubt they will"
So the opposite of your "If they enforce a "no car" policy for the accommodation then it might not impact parking for shopping", which I queried the rationale of and received a sarky response for. Right so. Glad you thought it through.
I wonder what the "disaster waiting to happen" is.
I didn't think they'd get the height. It'll look odd but sure what harm. That area has had worse over the years
Jesus. They can spit on Dunnes from their bedroom and Aldi is across the road. I'm sure they'll manage. Deliveroo can pull up wherever. They don't exactly go looking for parking spots. Parents can drop off too. They're literally in a car park so there's space for temporary parking
They can't exactly drive home from a night out and taxis will pull up anywhere so another moot point. The advice is always to go home in groups, not transport specific. I know plenty women wary of getting in a taxi due to previous experiences.
It'll need enforcement but we can't sit on our hands forever because we're afraid people might do something.
I'd say it will be an issue though. Ideally the Council and building owners would work together on it but I doubt they will
Isn't it a stone's throw from the hospital? How many floors has that?
As for unified style, It an 1980s shopping centre surrounded by concrete retail parks. Maybe it needs some de-unifying.
Quite a large difference between modern, purpose built, student accommodation and a local housing project from the 1970s. But you already know that.
It may not be heritage, or What Lovelies Like, but there is a unified style to the area now. 7 stories would be very different.
And high rise has worked so well in that area previously.!
Councillor Mike Cubbard says the seven story “monstrosity” is completely out of character with the area
"Character"
For someone who has lived a stones throw from the spot for years, Cubbard is talking some amount of sh!te
Character my behind
They won't though. They'll park in the shopping centre or nearby estates etc.
Leave them at home. Or rent a room somewhere with parking. Or sell it and be free from the financial burden
So where do you think all the students who own cars are going to park?
Link for that with the sound. I am not sure why you wouldn't link, instead of copy-pasting and uploading their image to a different website to post it.
A local councillor says he’s the angriest he’s ever been in his political career over the granting of permission for a major student accommodation block in Westside.The 240-bed development will be located on the grounds of the Westside Shopping Centre and will front onto the Seamus Quirke Road.
Councillor Mike Cubbard says the seven story “monstrosity” is completely out of character with the area and should never have been given the green light.
Speaking to Galway Talks, he said it’s a disaster waiting to happen and was highly critical of An Bord Pleanala.
Car free student accommodation is great, with proper supports for everyday living.
But what happens on move-in day, when Mammy and Daddy bring junior and their luggage?
Where do the grocery delivery people park? And the Deliveroo guys. And the ongoing cleaners, maintenance contractors and repsir workers.
What happens when a student gets attacked walking home, and the advice is to always catch taxis.
None of these need two carparks per apartment.
But they do need to be planned for - the plan needs to be car-lite, not car-free.
True but its doomed to failure unless the proper supports are in place first. If you require a car you will just park elsewhere creating issues for surrounding areas as can be seen with recent developments.
Granted the accommodation crisis is making students more dependent on cars, even before the housing crisis there has been been a massive increase in students with cars both commuters and those that rent in proximity to the colleges. Drive around Renmore, Westside or The Green and you'll see plenty of houses rented to students during college months with four or five cars parked outside. ATU had to open a second car park to accommodate all the students with cars.
It's a chicken and egg/carrot and stick thing. If you build around the car then people will use the car. That's what's happened for years and it's left us completely car dependent. The carrot should be a nice place to live close to everything. The stick should be no constant car access and punishment (fines, clamping, towing, etc.) if you try to circumvent it. I agree other transport infrastructure needs to be better but we can't wait until there's perfect car, PT, walking and cycling infrastructure all in-place and then hope people decide to leave the car at home.
This is designed to be student accommodation. Yes UG and ATU are filled to the gills with cars but that's a recent development due to people being forced down the route of car dependence. A major cause at the moment is from students not being able to find anywhere to live and having to commute. If they can't walk/cycle/bus from Westside to NUIG then this isn't for them.
They assume that all the students will walk or cycle. The planning office need to walk around ATU and NUI carparks as they are both overflowing with student cars at the moment.
Developers are delighted as they don't have to loose site space to parking or have to dig out basements for parking saving them a fortune in development costs and creating more space for units.
The City Council want to create a new Amsterdam without having to spend anything on infrastructure to support that style of city in advance.
There have been some recent developments in the city that were granted planning without parking or drop off points as the application stated that customers/tenants would solely use public transport or bikes. Objections were made pointing out that cars would also be used but planning was granted anyway and now you have cars blocking traffic because there is nowhere for them to go, there is also nowhere for delivery trucks to pull up.
I walk or cycle to work when the weather supports it and I support greener alternatives but I feel the infrastructure has to be in place first, not provisioning for the use of cars in current planning is short sighted when as a country we are very depended on cars for transportation.
HSE primary care facility due there on the 9.5 acres of vacant land off Seamus Quirke Road.
They'd need to do something like a 2hr parking limit and have someone walking around recording registration plates and clamping.
The student block at the Westwood has insufficient parking for the demand and students are parking in adjacent estates.
Um. There's no parking spot included in the rental so you can't take up a spot in the car park....
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