240 Bed Student Accommodation In Westside

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.

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.

"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.

What do you mean, "for our own". Students, whether they come from abroad, from Galway, or some other county, need to live somewhere during college term. Dedicated student blocks are a good thing, frees up the general market. How you can try twist this is beyond me.

What do you mean, de-regulate planning laws? The operator of the shopping centre is on board with the plan, obviously, so I'm not sure what is being de-regulated here. Change of use is a valid planning regulation.

First, it was comparisons to Rahoon Flats.....now it's only been given planning permission and you're moving onto it being converted into an asylum seeker centre. This ridiculous hyperbole is doing you zero favors.

Over intensification and it's dangers.....it's a 240 bed student block in an urban zone smack bang in Galway City a stones throw from the university it will serve. Grasping at straws doesn't even begin to cover the ridiculous arguments you're trying to make.

The most basic Google search for the India reference shows they were demolished because they were in blatant breach of planning regulations. So it's absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with "bad planning practice", and everything to do with developers ignoring the law. In no way comparable to this development.

Again, I can respect Mike Cubbard's views on the character of area/impact on nearby estates, but you're just posting absolute nonsense.

I won't even get into the comical argument that strategic housing developments granted over the past six years should be all universally demolished, putting aside we're in the midst of a housing crisis.

"which won't in any way lead to sustainable accommodation for our own"

Groups of students are filling up former family homes across the city for silly money that families can't compete with.

It also creates tensions in "quiet neighborhoods" when students are enjoying life late into the evenings and the neighborhoods have to be up at 7am for work.

You should send that in to the local freesheet - except it is a 15 minute walk to OG! https://www.advertiser.ie/contact

Most of the public discourse appears to be against this development purely because of eh, reasons

The proposal have a website and a detailed transportation assessment

Not in his backyard - something something, rahoon flats.

This proposed building would be some of the most well serviced buildings in Galway - right by a bus stop, 5 minutes walk to 2 supermarkets, 2 takeaways, an off license, 10mins from UHG and NUI, 5minutes walk from westside running track and park.. etc etc

You cannot find a better place for such a building. You really cant. And all you are losing is some car parking spots and the "view" from the road of Boyle sports and a low-rise Dunnes stores.

Siobhan mcKenna road is lined with trees, you wouldnt see much anyways.

And sure there are plenty of bigger eyesores at street level in that neck of the woods than high rises 100s of meters away.

Do you really view the role of elected representatives that narrowly? Is there no room in your definition for leadership; for using their position to obtain a more in depth understanding of issues affecting the community, coming to conclusions based on that understanding, and going back to constituents and making recommendations, which may go against the positions voters initially express based on limited information or narrowly focussed messaging, and trying to inform and persuade?

My issue with this development, (not that I necessarily object to it, per se) is that it is another example of developer led 'planning'. As usual in Galway, there is no vision for how the city should/will develop. If we had a plan to develop the Westside into a high-rise, high-density area, then maybe this could be the first part of it. But sadly, there is no plan. We're just waiting for the next developer to announce where the next big build will be and I'm pretty sure it won't be Westside.

Delighted you have such a positive attitude to the development.

Please speak to your neighbours and convince them, too.

Will there be objections to this just opposite? Out of character etc

Actually its 4 stories tall, not 3. 3 extra in place of the 1st floor offices.

I think they should built it taller, only 4 stories in a unit of that size above a supermarket and beside a bus stop is a wasted opportunity

It's interesting to see from the comments here that most of the supporters of these over-intensified developments appear to be from outside the locality!