Galway is to push to become a ‘tier two’ city like Cork and Belfast in the next National Planning Framework that will determine the city’s development for the next two decades.
The strategy, called Ireland 2040 – to replace the National Spatial Strategy – will outline the national infrastructure priorities and direct where houses as well as facilities, such as rehabilitative units, hospitals and schools, should be built.
It will predict where the majority of people will live and work as the population is tipped to increase by around one million. More than one fifth of Ireland’s total population will be over 65 and over 500,000 additional people will be working.
At least 500,000 homes would be required in locations closer to services and amenities – 25,000 of them in Galway City alone. The major blueprint will look at how best to co-ordinate transport, health, education and housing into an overall strategy so they work in a coordinated way.
Galway City Council’s submission drawn up as part of the public consultation for the framework argues that the city has the range of characteristics and attributes to enable it to be a driver of regional development and to absorb some of the strain from Dublin and the eastern region.
“Of the five cities, only the Galway built-up area experienced consistent population growth in excess of the national average of 31% from 1996 to 2016, increasing in population by more than 23,000 or 41%. This indicates the resilience of the city and that it is well placed to support a tier two city status,” according to the draft.
City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said to get the tier two designation was important because all government investment linked in with the National Framework.
For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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