Palace Road and Tuam inner relief road are part of legally binding deal

A STATEMENT from a local county councillor last week regarding the Palace Road in Tuam and the inner relief road has been refuted by SuperValu proprietor Joe O'Toole. Mr O'Toole's legal representatives have asked us to state that Galway County Council has entered into a binding legal agreement with him in relation to the Palace Road. Mr O'Toole has issued a statement in the format of an open letter. It reads as follows:[private] Open letter from Joe O'Toole to the people of Tuam A LARGE amount of the information circulated in the media relating to the inner relief road and Palace Road has been simply incorrect and I would like to take this opportunity to present the facts. Galway County Council sought to develop the inner relief road to reduce traffic pressure in the town centre. The Council obtained approval for the construction of the road in 2008. Independently in 2007 I applied for planning permission to develop my site in Tuam. At this time the Council informed me of their plans for the relief road and made it clear that this must be included as part of any planning submission. Following the Council's instruction, the final plans included the provision for the relief road. When planning permission for my development was granted in 2010 the Council did not have the funds to construct the relief road. As a large portion of the relief road had been planned to run through my site I agreed a land swap with the Council for the Palace Road and the car park in exchange for the land needed to build the road. The land I am to receive is almost half the area of the land provided by me. In addition to this I donated a large sum of money towards the construction of the road which could not have proceeded without my financial assistance. I have entered a legally binding contract with the Council where I agreed to provide the financial assistance and the land on which the road is constructed in exchange for the Palace Road and the car park. This agreement was formalised with the Council in June 2011. I have received a letter from the Council in relation to the planning issues and I am committed to working with the Council to resolve any planning issues they may have. I have never denied access through my site except for a short period at night due to security concerns which have now been addressed with the installation of cameras. I have tried as best I can to facilitate any concerns regarding pedestrian safety. As a final note, I have been in business in Tuam for 45 years and I employ 165 people. My motivation in all of my actions is to benefit the town of Tuam. I had intended my contribution to the relief road to be a meaningful and positive gesture towards the improvement of Tuam as a whole. It is my sincere wish that all of these issues can be resolved so that I and my staff can continue to serve the people of Tuam and surrounding areas. Yours, Joe O'Toole[/private]