Galway Harbour Company (GHC) and The Land Development Agency (LDA) have today announced the launch of a joint consultation and stakeholder engagement process for the planned redevelopment of Galway Inner Harbour, which includes the proposed delivery of 350 affordable and social homes at Amharc Atalia, a planned new LDA housing development.
GHC and the LDA have been working in partnership to develop detailed proposals for the regeneration of the Galway Inner Harbour area. They are now seeking the views of the public and stakeholders on the overall draft masterplan and the proposed Phase 1 of development, which involves the LDA’s delivery of about 350 affordable and social homes in the area.
The housing development has been given the working title Amharc Atalia/Atalia View in English. The homes will be built on a 1.4-hectare site within the inner harbour, the transfer of which was agreed in principle, with government approval, in 2024.
The proposals include plans for cost rental and social housing, a creche and three retail or café units. The development will be located on New Dock Road and Lough Atalia Road.
GHC, which owns and operates the Port of Galway, commissioned the masterplan to guide the transformation of Galway Inner Harbour. It includes proposals to develop the area into a new sustainable and mixed-use city centre urban quarter. The completion of the draft masterplan is a requirement of the Galway City Development Plan and further develops the vision for the Inner Dock lands, which was published in May 2021.
The masterplan is a vital component of GHC’s broader development strategy which includes the relocation and extension of its port facilities. The LDA is working in partnership with GHC and is aligned with the following principles of the draft masterplan:
• The urban structure, hierarchy of streets and amenity areas
• Legibility, safety and activity
• Character, look and feel, including heritage
• Nature, biodiversity and climate
• Development quantum and implementation
As part of the consultation process, GHC and the LDA are encouraging residents, businesses and community groups to engage with and contribute to the proposals.
The draft masterplan document and new development brochure, Amharc Atalia, have been created for the public consultation process. These documents outline the initial design plan, and their publication will be followed by a series of workshops and meetings, to be held over the coming weeks.
A range of communication channels have also been established to provide a forum for people to give their. More details and the full masterplan are available at galway-harbour.com
Phelim O’Neill, Director of Development at the LDA, said:
“I am pleased to see plans for the development of new affordable homes reach this pivotal stage. In just over one year since terms were agreed to facilitate the land transfer, we have engaged with teams in Galway to design a new high quality and sustainable residential development in the heart of the city. I would like to thank Galway Harbour Company and Galway City Council for their support in helping us progress this much-needed project. We value the local community’s engagement and feedback, and I am actively encouraging local residents, businesses and community groups to contribute to this important process as we strive to deliver a development that meets the needs of the city.”
Conor O’Dowd, Chief Executive of Galway Harbour Company, said:
“The plans to transform Galway Inner Harbour represent a once-in-a generation opportunity to develop a new and sustainable urban quarter in Galway city and solidify Galway’s position as a driver of economic growth for the West of Ireland. It will provide new housing and commercial outlets, in addition to recreational and cultural facilities along the water’s edge, and the overall project will create new employment opportunities and boost tourism. We are pleased to partner with the LDA in launching this consultation process and look forward to hearing from all stakeholders on the draft masterplan and the proposals for Phase 1, which involves the LDA’s Amharc Atalia development.”
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council said:
“Galway City Council is proud to play its part in the economic and social regeneration of the Inner Harbour area. The draft masterplan devised by Galway Harbour Company develops the vision for the Inner Harbour lands, which was published in May 2021. Galway City Council looks forward to engaging with Galway Harbour Company and the Land Development Agency in respect of the proposed regeneration of the area. In due course, the proposal will be submitted in accordance with the public planning process and considered in line with the Galway City Development Plan and proper planning.”
The plans for the harbour site are just one of a number of projects the LDA is working on in Galway. The Agency, which specialises in unlocking underutilised land for the delivery of affordable housing, recently revealed ambitious plans to transform land surrounding Galway’s Sandy Road into a new urban quarter involving up to 750 mixed tenure homes including social and affordable homes.
A draft spatial framework for the 24-acre site includes plans for a central park and a series of smaller garden courts, pocket parks and a public square. It also envisages high quality office and commercial space, alongside biodiverse landscaping and much-needed places to live, socialise and work close to Galway city centre.
The LDA is also seeking planning permission for 219 apartments and community amenities on a 1.75-acre site at Dyke Road in Galway City Centre, which has been identified for redevelopment by Galway City Council.
In January, the LDA announced the planned delivery of 345 new homes at Crown Square in Mervue in Galway City. The new homes have been secured under the LDA’s Homebuilder Partnership initiative (Project Tosaigh) and are being delivered in partnership with JJ Rhatigan & Company.
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is the State’s affordable housing delivery body. Its main role is to acquire and develop State and other land to deliver affordable homes to address the country’s housing need.
The Agency has a direct delivery pipeline in excess of 19,000 homes. It is also delivering affordable housing by working with private homebuilders on an initiative called ‘Project Tosaigh’, which will yield a further 8,000 homes.
Additionally, the LDA undertakes work on large-scale longer-term strategic areas by master-planning and bringing forward planning applications in locations such as Limerick Colbert Quarter, Pear Tree Crossing in Dublin and Sandy Road in Galway.
The LDA is also responsible for a range of public functions including research, master planning and the development of construction guidelines and best practices. The LDA has produced and now regularly updates the Report on Relevant Public Land, which identified 102 State owned sites with the potential for 70,830 homes.
Galway Harbour Company (GHC) owns and operates the Port of Galway (the Port). The current facilities operated by the Port are only operational for 4 hours daily and are incapable of handling large vessels. As such, GHC has lodged a planning application for the relocation and expansion of its Port facilities. A decision on this planning application is expected by the end of this year. A relocated and expanded Port would provide better export and import opportunities for businesses in the Port’s hinterland and enable the Port to continue to support the deployment of onshore wind and, in due course, to support the deployment and service of offshore wind off the Atlantic Coast.
GHC’s development plans include the:
- Construction of a new Port complex in deeper water, thereby facilitating the full redevelopment of the inner harbour.
- Redevelopment of the inner harbour as a mixed use residential/commercial/recreational area, with a focus on delivering a smart, green and sustainable urban quarter.
- Partnersing with the LDA to enable the redevelopment of part of the port lands as housing, thereby consolidating population growth in brownfield sites close to the city centre; and