No joy for multi-million-euro soccer and training centre
Refusal upheld by Coimisiún Pleanála
GALWAY United FC and Connacht Hockey have failed in their attempt to have a planning refusal for a multi-million-euro provincial soccer and hockey training centre in Athenry overturned.
The joint proposal to build a training centre expected to cost between €10million and €13million in Mountain South on the outskirts of Athenry was refused by Galway County Council planners last November.
An Coimisiún Pleanála have now upheld the local authority’s decision following an appeal by Galway United FC.
The provincial soccer and hockey training centre had been earmarked for 15acres of land provided by Glenamaddy property developer brothers Luke and Brian Comer. The land in Mountain South is close to the M6 motorway outside Athenry and is serviced by the R347.
'Unsustainable' in rural area
The appellant claimed that 60 per cent of the people using the proposed facility would be travelling by private car. An observation was received from Mountain South Residents, who said that the R347 adjacent to the site did not have public transport and the proposed development was “car dependent".
An Coimisiún Pleanála determined that the development was unsustainable in a rural and unserviced area and would impact on the amenities of the area. Other grounds for refusal include road safety concerns with vehicles accessing the entrance to the site and the development being inappropriate for an area that is at risk of flooding.
The multi-purpose facility was to serve as the academy training centre for men’s and women’s teams across Galway United’s age groups.
A full-size grass pitch and a full-size all-weather 5G pitch were included in the plans for the project, as well as a full-size hockey pitch, and separate single-storey buildings for both Galway United and Connacht Hockey. Bus, car and bicycle parking, and floodlighting, were also planned, amongst other amenities.
The council had rejected a planning application from Galway United and Connacht Hockey for a similar project in the area in 2022.