A GROUP of residents in the seaside resort of Salthill, Galway, is protesting against plans to build a £7 million hotel and car park that would overlook the promenade.
The protesters will hold a rally outside City Hall tonight when Galway Corporation meets to discuss the scheme.
A meeting of Salthill residents at the weekend unanimously condemned the proposal. They said the corporation owned 2.8 acre site beside the Leisureland complex was originally part of a parkland area which had been zoned as a green belt space. Later it was rezoned for commercial purposes when developers sought to build an ice rink - a scheme that was rejected by the corporation.
The present proposal is for the construction of a five storey 150 room hotel with parking for 270 cars at the rear. Entrance to the hotel would be through the Leisureland grounds and the hotel would be allowed use of Leisureland's facilities, including the swimming pool, for its guests.
The hotel would be run by the company that operates Hodson Bay Hotel outside Athlone. Galway Corporation would gel £1 million for the site.
"Apart from the questionable propriety of handing over public leisure facilities to a private hotel so they can profit from them, this entire development would have unfortunate consequences for Salthill as a whole," said Mr John Flatley, a spokesman for the protesters.