Galway council overrides locals on Briarhill extension
Published: 18 February, 2008
Galway city council has over-ruled opposition from local residents, their own planners and even the city manager to a planned extension at the new Briarhill shopping centre.
The 15,000-sq m centre opened last October, anchored by Dunnes and 16 retail units. Now, the council has voted to rezone an adjacent 1.4-ha residential site for commercial development.
The new phase will almost double the size of the centre, besides extending the Dunnes anchor store and adding a drive-thru restaurant and filling station.
A spokesman for the local residents association, Fearghal Wall, has condemned the move, saying that entry to the centre is frequently gridlocked. He added: "If you are a rich property developer, you jump to the top of the queue but if you're looking for traffic lights or footpaths, you go to the back."
