Townspark Inner Relief Road

A motion having the Ballinasloe Townparks inner relief road inserted as specific project under named road projects, was carried recently and will also be in the County Development Plan which is a higher order plan than the Ballinasloe Local Area Plan. 

The council are now enabled to support the delivery of the Inner Relief Road and to explore appropriate land uses adjacent to the road and River Suck harnessing the potential for recreation and related activities in association with the River.

The motion that was put forward by Cllr. Evelyn Parsons can now be progressed to form the basis to seek planning and a co-funding applications as it’s listed as a road project in the CDP for the first time ever.

Cllr Evelyn Parsons stated: “It was an issue the Ballinasloe townspeople and business community repeatedly brought up with me. They wanted to open up the town and backlands towards the river and there are many fine commercial, tourism and local recreational benefits to doing so and from the Town being more river centric.”

“It could include a possible accessible swim and water recreation area and that would improve drinking water status and ensure higher quality water for the area with more rigorous standards and frequency of testing having to be applied to bathing status water,” Cllr. Parsons added.

There were funds allocated for the project in 2014 from the old landfill fund, however when the town council dissolved the Galway CoCo took over with the commitment of delivering the road and Amenity area, nothing had happened since. There never was and there is currently no planning permission for the road or amenity Townparks area.

 “I put it forward to zone that Townparks area amenity, community facilities, open space and insert a link road to emerge also at the new Scoil Croi Naofa School. This was not feasible as planners were adamant putting a zoning use of open space or amenity or community facilities on that area would completely preclude and jeopardise the development of any road or route in that zoning and leaving it unzoned gives it the best possible chance of getting through environmental hurdles as it is area of constrained land use which will be subject to stringent high level environmental assessments,” Cllr. Parsons concluded.

Now that the motion has been passed and included in the CDP and the LAP, the Council in accordance with proper planning and sustainable development and environmental considerations will finally have both plans solidly backing delivery of the long-awaited Inner Relief Road.