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Email:roscam.peninsula@gmail.com
roscam.peninsula@gmail.com
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City Councillors routed as evidence-based planning trumps local developers lobbying
Welcome protection for sensitive sites on Roscam Peninsula
Regulator pushes back on Material Alterations by City Councillors
Despite the compelling scientific data and the economic case for preserving Biodiversity in our communities we continue to see unacceptable levels of diminution in the range and number of species across the ecological landscape.
Following a recommendation made to him by the Office of the Planning Regulator under Section 31 AM(8) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, has issued a draft Direction to Galway County Council (being the Planning Authority for County Galway). The Draft Ministerial Direction relates to the Galway County Development Plan 2022- 2028 and comes off the back of material amendments made by county councillors to the draft Plan, that are not consistent with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. In a 74 page letter to the minister the planning regulator requested the Minister to direct the councillors to remove the material amendments in question. The planning regulator was of the opinion that among other shortcomings the Development Plan has not been made in a manner consistent with and fails to implement recommendations of the Office, specifically, a) that in relation to particular material amendments to the draft development plan adopted by the elected members, the Development Plan does not support compact growth of certain towns and villages; b) the Development Plan zones land for development in peripheral locations, leapfrogging unzoned and/ or undeveloped land, and in so doing does not apply the sequential approach to development to support compact growth of certain towns and villages; c) having regard to The Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2009), specifically that in relation to particular material amendments to the draft development plan adopted by the elected members, the Development Plan zones land for development in areas of flood risk; As a consequence of these and other issues, the regulator was of the opinion that Development Plan made by Galway County Council (“the Council”) failed to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development, contrary to the requirements of the Act. https://consult.galway.ie/en/consultation/notice-draft-ministerial-direction-matter-section-31-planning-development-act-2000-amended-galway
The Save Roscam Peninsula campaign welcomes the decision of the High Court to refuse an application for judicial review for a controversial development on the environmentally sensitive Roscam Peninsula. The lands in question (which were purchased as agricultural lands at auction by Sunmile limited in 2016) were rezoned for housing in a material alternation to the 2017 draft City Development Plan following an eleventh-hour vote by City Councillors. This rezoning decision was against the advice of the city executive and despite the documented environmental sensitivity concerns set out in the council’s own environmental assessment report on the area. The proposed development was located on the Roscam Peninsula close to two protected European sites (Galway Bay SAC, and Inner Galway Bay SPA) the nearby ecclesiastical settlement including Roscam Tower and two protected panoramic views across Galway Bay. The applicant, Mary Harriet Madden, made three successful applications to Galway City Council for planning on the lands in question, all of which were subsequently overturned on appeal by An Bord Pleanála. Following the February 2020 decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for the third time, the applicant sought a judicial review of the Bord’s decision. In a judgement issued on 4th May, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter refused the application for a judicial review. In a further development, in a recent submission to the draft city development plan 2023-2029 the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) has directed the City Council to remove the lands in question from LDR zoning and revert them to their original agricultural high amenity designation. Despite the unwarranted re-zoning of these pristine lands by councillors and the earlier grant of permission by Galway City Council today’s decision and the direction from the OPR allows us to have confidence that this important habitat can be protected from unwarranted development.
High Court refers questions on costs to European Court of Justice as part of judicial review of planning for 102 houses on Rosshill Golf Course.
Save Roscam Peninsula has welcomed the decision by the Office of Planning Regulation (OPR) to recommend the omission of LDR zoning on the Roscam Peninsula from the Draft City Development Plan 2023-2029 and to return the area to its Pre-2005 Agricultural-High Amenity zoning. The OPR was established following the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Mahon Tribunal to investigate “possible systemic” planning problems including those “raising corruption risks”. As part of its remit, the OPR reviews local authorities’ development plans and makes recommendations on these. Where local authorities do not justifiably follow its recommendations, the OPR can request a direction letter from the Minister requiring them to amend the plan. To date, the OPR has requested direction letters on four local authorities’ development plans. The OPR has highlighted that the draft plan has zoning for over 11,000 houses when even the most optimistic forecasts suggest the maximum housing need is 6,000 units. We don’t suffer from a lack of zoning, what we suffer from is land banking and hording by builders. Analysis has shown that during the life of the previous plan 2017-2023, less than one in four of the houses given planning permission were actually built. Save Roscam Peninsula is calling on City Councillors to follow the recommendation of the OPR and the Chief Executive’s and put the interests of families in the east of the City before builders and profits. In submissions to the draft plan, local developers builders lobbied for rezoning to allow in excess of 700 houses to be built on the peninsula, including and the removal of its environmental sensitivity designation and protected views.