Local residents concerned about Galway City Council’s Woodquay park redesign

Community members voiced their concerns to the Galway City Council (GCC) on the Woodquay Redevelopment Project yesterday in an open forum held at the Galway Rowing Club. 

The Original Design

“I’m really unhappy with the new design,” said Jonathan Hannon, representative of the Woodquay Residents Association. “The design is completely different from what we developed over the last seven years. It ignores our hard work.”

The Woodquay Residents Association began the process to revamp the park in 2017, looking to address an increase of antisocial behaviour in the area. They hired landscape designer Mary Reynolds to draft up plans for the new park. 

According to Mr Hannon, the initial design was based on extensive research, ethnography, and attention to local folklore. “Our proposal was designed to pull people in. What the City Council is presenting is extremely different,” said Mr Hannon.

GCC Takeover

In 2021, the GCC took over the project, receiving funding from Fáilte Ireland’s Urban Animation and Capital Investment Scheme. Using these funds, GCC hired a team of consultants to conduct ecological surveys and create the new design for the park. 

The latest proposal makes several changes to the original proposal, including parking areas on the side of the park, a cycle hire and an ecological restoration scheme. 

“I think most of the negative feedback so far is mostly related to changes made to the original design,” said Caroline Osmond, a consultant with LUC Landscape Architects. “But our design has to respond to environmental requirements from our funder and the City Council.”

A central tenet of the project is the concept of  ‘eyes on the street’, according to Aine Bourke, Planner with MKO Environmental and Planning Consultants. “By physically opening the park to be more visible, we hope to increase accountability and reduce potential crime.”

Call for feedback

With the public consultation phase underway, GCC representatives are encouraging community members to share their concerns. In addition to yesterday’s event, GCC has opened a portal for the public to submit its concerns online. It will remain open until 1 March. 

“After we receive all of the feedback, we’ll conduct an analysis and incorporate changes to the project from there,” said Ruari Lehmann, Tourism Officer with GCC. “But look, there’s never been a public consultation in history when everyone was happy.”  

Once final comments are integrated, the CGG will submit a final design to An Bord Pleanála. Construction is expected to begin by early 2025.