The company behind the biggest housing development ever planned for the Knocknacarra area has been told by city planners to revise its proposals
A total of 362 residential units — a mix of apartments and different house types — are proposed for a 13-acre site between the Western Distributor Road and Kingston Road, in blocks with heights ranging from two to six storeys.
A decision on the planning application for the Kingston Stables Large-Scale Residential Development was due to have been issued last week by Galway City Council, but the local authority has instead sought further information from the company behind the scheme
Planners have raised a number of concerns, including overlooking of neighbouring properties, a lack of playing space for children and potential security issues for some of the future residents.
Kingston Stables Ltd have been asked by the council to respond to a submission made in relation to the planning application, which queries the ownership of part of the lands involved.
The company has also been advised to address an issue in relation to first floor windows and balconies in several duplex and townhouse blocks which would not meet the requirements of government guidelines on adequate separation distances from other residences.
Security concerns are aired by planners in their request for further information, with many instances where paths or communal open space are directly located adjacent to ground floor apartments, contrary to planning guidelines.
Guidelines suggested the provision of a ‘privacy strip’ of approximately 1.5m in depth where ground floor apartments are to be located adjoining the back of a public footpath or some other public area.
It points to one instance where a ground-floor apartment is positioned “with windows directly looking onto the pedestrian and vehicle access, while the windows view directly onto the road and car parking space, and no defensible space has been provided”.
The City Council require the developers to increase the amount of space it has allocated for Local Area for Play (LAP) facilities, and it says that the proposed scheme does not meet the required standard for dedicated teen play or ‘chill-out’ areas.
And planners are also unhappy regarding the landscaping of the boundaries of the overall housing scheme, which are required to function as a corridor for wildlife running from Millars Lane in the northeast into Kingston Park in the west.
“There are serious concerns about the viability of the hedgerow and tree planting proposed on the boundary due to lack of sufficient space being left for planting on some of the key boundary areas.”
More than one-third of the proposed 362 units will be single-bedroom homes, 114 apartments and 15 duplex apartments.
The entire project will be made up of 65 townhouses, ranging from two- to four-bedroom units; 61 one-bed and two-bed duplex apartments; and 175 one-bed, two-bed and three-bed apartments.
The developers say that the scheme will be divided into four distinct character areas — called the Threadneedle, Orchard, Altan and Millers quarters.
Vehicular access will be from the existing roundabout on the Western Distributor Road, across from Lidl, and Kingston Road at the location of an existing laneway.
The company expects that construction works will be undertaken in two phases and completed within 36 months.
Future neighbours raise concerns
A number of submissions regarding the development have been made to Galway City Council by potential future neighbours expressing concerns.
Chairman of Kingston Gardens Residents Association, John O’Sullivan, noted that the proposed development would have access to Kingston Road and they were concerned about the impact on an already very busy road.
Dermot Wall, in a submission on behalf of Gort Siar residents, said they had serious reservations regarding the traffic implications for the people living in their area.
“Anyone can see that the Western Distributor Road is currently a slow-moving car park, during morning rush hour and school time,” he wrote.
“We already have issues with access to Gort Siar at different times of the day, namely school drop off and school pick up. This planning application would significantly worsen those issues, adding to that existing traffic.”
A formal objection was also submitted on behalf of homeowners at An Logán, whose properties lie next to the development site.
Concerns outlined by agents M&C Property on behalf of the local owners’ management company included claims of excessive height and massing, overlooking and overshadowing, and traffic congestion – which would add up to cumulative negative impacts on established residential amenity.
An Taisce said that it welcomed the proposal to provide a substantial number of houses, but said it had “serious concerns about the existing deficiencies in Galway’ s wastewater collection system due to a lack of investment over recent decades,” and another 362 units would add to the existing load.
Should the City Council grant permission, there should be condition that the existing 225mm foul sewer be replaced by one of at least 300mm in diameter, along with series of other works, as recommended in Uisce Éireann’ s Galway Area Drainage Plan, it added.
An Taisce also claimed that the provision of 313 car parking space for 363 residential units “is not justified in such a central location, so well serviced by public transport”.