Dunnes Stores fails to stop student housing scheme in Galway city

Dunnes Stores has failed in its bid to prevent a seven-storey student accommodation scheme for Galway city securing planning permission.

An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to Westside Shopping Centre Ltd for the 240-bed scheme in a parking area located on Seamus Quirke Road. The shopping centre is owned by Elkstone Capital Partners. The planned scheme would cut the number of car-parking spaces to 238.

A planning report by Thornton O’Connor Town Planning on behalf of the applicants outlined the need for the scheme.

It said: “Due to the yearly influx of ongoing and new students there is significant pressure on the availability of student accommodation and rental properties in the city and surrounding suburban areas.”

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The consultants said the provision of 240 bed spaces would “not only contribute towards addressing the shortfall in student accommodation, but in turn will lead to the release of private rented accommodation”.

Dunnes Stores is the anchor tenant at Westside Shopping Centre and in an objection to the student scheme, BMA Planning, on behalf of Dunnes Stores, said the proposed development would “have a profound impact on the operation and viability of the Dunnes store at the Westside Shopping Centre, in terms of the removal of a large number of parking spaces adjacent to their store, on which the store relies to trade”.

However, the appeals board gave the green light for the scheme after its inspector in the case, Colin McBride, said in response to height concerns, the proposed development would “provide for an efficient use of zoned serviced land and provide for increased residential accommodation for which demand exists, namely student accommodation in proximity and accessible to the NUI Galway college campus”.

Addressing Dunnes Stores’ concerns, Mr McBride said the loss of car parking did have the potential to impact on the viability and function of the centre, “however, I would be of the view that the applicant has demonstrated that there is capacity within the car park to cater for the additional development”.