Cllr Derek Nolan

The much anticipated Headford Road Community Centre is long overdue and has reached a point of “critical urgency” according to Labour councillor Derek Nolan. Cllr Nolan will meet with City Hall officials on Friday morning to discuss the Centre, where it is anticipated that revised plans for its development will be put forward.

“Because of our developer-led planning system, the Headford Road area saw a raft of new development over the last decade, without the corresponding community infrastructure. While the population increased by over 60%, there were no playing pitches built, no playgrounds built and we are still only talking about a community centre. It’s just not good enough.”

“I know the area well and can see for myself the teenagers now who have already missed out, and how unfair that is. However there are a large amount of young children and families who can still benefit if action happens soon. This is why the project is of such critical urgency and I will be insisting on this to Officials on Friday”

Last January, Cllr Nolan amended the draft City Development Plan to include playing pitches for the Headford Road. “If the community centre goes ahead quickly, together with my proposal in the City Development Plan, then we will be on our way to addressing the infrastructure deficit and providing real community space for the Headford Road.”

At the last census, Ballybane registered the fifth highest increase in population out of the country’s electoral divisions, seeing a massive increase of 78.9%. As a result, Labour councillor Derek Nolan has said that Ballybane should not be zoned as an area for future residential development.

“Ballybane has experienced dramatic population growth over the last decade. To its credit, the community has come together to further develop the area. But it would be both unsustainable and unfair to continue to promote residential development in the area. I will be seeking to implement this restriction in the new City Development Plan.”

Cllr Nolan has singled out a proposal to build infill housing on recreational land between Castle Park, Rian Luachra and Rocklands Avenue.

“This is exactly the type of development we should be avoiding. Not alone would it consume valuable recreational space, but it would insert a new housing development smack in the middle of mature housing estates. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s time to give Ballybane a break, by giving it an opportunity to develop and catch up with the dramatic change it has undergone. A moratorium on future housing development is the best way to achieve that, and I will fighting for that during the next phase of the City Development Plan”.

30 training places at the City of Galway VEC’s Sandy Road training centre have been lost due to the “unthinking and illogical bureaucracy” of the Department of Education. This is the view of VEC member and Labour Cllr Derek Nolan.

“Like all public bodies, the VEC in Galway have had their funding cut back dramatically. The Sandy Road centre alone was instructed to cut their resources by 30%.  Implementing a straight cut would have resulted in a reduction of 15 places.”

“Instead, VEC management took an innovative approach, and prepared a reorganizational plan for the Sandy Road Centre, that would produce even greater savings and allow numbers to actually increase by 15. Shamefully, the plans were vetoed by the Department of Education on the grounds that all action must be uniform across the country.”

“If this is the kind of unthinking and illogical bureaucracy that is supposed to upskill and educate our workforce in a time of recession, yet cannot see beyond a spreadsheet and allow innovation in its own ranks, then it is no wonder that teachers, parents and students have lost trust in the government. Fianna Fáil is continually assaulting the education sector. It is shocking to think that a lot of that pain is unnecessary.”