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Galway County Council is to investigate the feasibility of buying out Galway City Council’s stake in the former Galway Airport site, amid growing tension between councillors from the two local authorities.
Galway company Danú Media announced plans to create a multi-million-euro film and television studio at the site in late 2021.
These ambitious plans hit a stumbling block late last year, however, when planners at Galway County Council imposed a five-year time limit on an application by Danú Media to transform a 40,000sq ft hangar at the airport into a film and television studio.
This five-year time limit is understood to have made the investment, thought to be in the region of €5 million, unfeasible for the Spiddal company.
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The decision also prompted an angry response from the city council, with Labour councillor Níall McNeilis describing the planners’ decision as an “act of economic sabotage”.
The site of the former Galway Airport, located just outside Galway city but within the jurisdiction of Galway County Council, has been owned jointly by both local authorities since 2013. It has not facilitated regular passenger traffic since 2011.
A number of Galway county councillors voiced their dissatisfaction with Cllr McNeilis’s comments at last Monday’s meeting of the county council, with Liam Carroll of Fine Gael proposing that the county council now seek to buy out the city’s stake in the former airport.
“I think that it is high time that Galway County Council approach Galway City Council about buying out their share of Galway Airport,” said Cllr Carroll.
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“If we are depending on the city council to agree on a management plan for the site, it will be put on the long finger forever. We should approach Galway City Council about this and explore the option of buying out their share.”
This proposal received the support of a number of councillors, with chief executive Jim Cullen saying he would investigate its feasibility.
A separate proposal put forward by Cllr Joe Byrne of Fine Gael which called for a joint top-level meeting between the executives of both Galway local authorities to sort out the impasse was also supported by councillors.
“This whole situation shows a lack of joined up thinking between Galway City Council and Galway County Council,” he said.
“I remember, in the past, we had a number of joint meetings with Galway City Council and, though they didn’t continue, I think there was merit in them.”
Responding to the proposals made at Monday’s county council meeting, Mr McNeilis said he would have concerns if the county council took sole control of the former airport.
“The original sale [of the airport] was done for the benefit of both the county and the city and I don’t think there is a benefit in one group or the other owning it,” he said.
“Galway city has been paying for security and maintenance of that site since it was purchased, the same as the county. It’s a bit rich that they are suggesting buying it up.
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“I would have concerns about the county purchasing it. I would love to see what some of their long-term plans are for the place.”
A spokesperson for Galway City Council said any decision to sell land owned by the local authority would have to be made formally by the councillors at a city council meeting.
“There is currently no proposal by Galway City Council to sell the city council’s interest in the former airport site and no such proposal is under consideration by the city council,” said the spokesperson.
“Joint meetings of the corporate policy groups from both local authorities are periodically held. Joint meetings of strategic policy committees from both councils take place more regularly. Such meetings will continue. Senior executives of Galway City Council and their counterparts from Galway County Council meet and communicate very often on a wide range of common issues.”
A spokesperson for Danú Media said it currently had no comment to make about the proposed buyout.