View our presentation to Galway West Political Representatives on 3rd of July
>>> Galway West Political Reps – Presentation 3.3.2023 – Final>>>
Summary notes:
Members of the Board of Connemara Chamber of Commerce met with political reps from Galway west with a tight agenda, noted below. These issues pertained to major blocks on the future of Connemara’s economic development. The meeting lasted two hours and was well attended by local Councillors, TDs, and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton.
(i) LOCALS CAN NO LONGER RENT, BUY OR BUILD A HOME IN CONNEMARA
It is now a fact that locals can no longer Rent, Buy or Rent a home in Connemara. The chamber outlined in detailed presentation how there are at present just 2 rental properties available to rent and just four 3-bedroom family homes to buy at the €300,000 mark in Connemara.
But the plight of refusals of residential planning permissions took a large chunk of the meeting as the Chamber outlined five recent residential planning refusal stories and how it affects the lives of the individuals involved and the impact on the vibrancy of any area. With 3000 residential planning refusals in County Galway in the last 3 years, the chamber pointed out the perceived difficulties within Galway County Council’s planning department that need attention as well as changes that need to be made at a national level.
(ii) REMOTE WORKING HUB – PROJECT READY, POLITICAL SUPPORT NEEDED
Connemara Chamber of Commerce has brought a remote working and enterprise hub for Clifden to an advanced stage. The meeting asked for major political support for the 70 spaces remote working and enterprise hub for the heart of Clifden. The project is ready for capital investment to get it off the ground and the Chamber is asking for political support to get it over the line.
(iii) RING ROAD – DECADES AWAY SO WHAT NOW?
Galway City Ring Road – the Chamber asked raised three questions in regard to this:
(i) Is the Galway City Ring Road now decades away
(ii) In the interim, what can be done right now to improve the flow of traffic wishing to pass through the city going onto north and south Connemara.
(iii) Has the ring road now be dropped by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) from their list of top priorities.
