Tesco denied planning for €15m hypermarket on west side of Galway

Galway residents hope a community park will be built on a site earmarked for a Tesco hypermarket.

This follows An Bord Pleanála’s decision to refuse planning permission for the hypermarket, on grounds that it would detract from the “vitality and viability” of Galway city centre.

The appeals board also ruled that the €15 million project’s “excessive scale” would conflict with zoning objectives and would have “visually discordant” features.

Local residents in the Rahoon Road/Seamus Quirke Road on the city’s west side are now seeking rezoning of the location to ensure it is retained for amenity use.

The controversial planning application for a two-storey retail outlet on the site of a former lumberyard had been originally lodged with Galway City Council by businessman and former Fianna Fáil mayor of Galway Micheál Ó hUiginn.

Councillors on the previous local authority voted to amend the city development plan to rezone the 9.5 acre site as a district centre, in spite of advice by former acting city manager Joe O'Neill and director of services Tom Connell that it was not in line with proper planning guidelines.

However, a former city mayor, Senator Hildegarde Naughton, had warned the rezoning would have "serious implications" for city centre trade. Labour councillors also supported the city manager's stance on the basis that two retail centres at Knocknacarra and Briarhill were sufficient for population levels.

RGData, which represents family owned shops, said the development could "Hoover up business" within a 20km radius, while the Galway City Business Association, An Taisce and three residents' associations opposed the plan.

The project was approved by the council, with 30 conditions, but was appealed.