Galway homes around Ring Road’s ‘red line’ won’t see compensation under CPO laws
As the news of the Galway City Ring Road approval begins to settle, attention is turning to the homes that will bear the consequences of the decision.
At an April meeting, Galway City Council’s Director of Services for Project Development Derek Pender revealed that all homes adjacent to the “red line” of the proposed route will not receive compensation under Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) legislation.
In other infrastructure projects, compensation for what is known as the “blight effect” is often granted to homes located near, but not directly on, a development boundary. Typically, the level of compensation decreases the further a property is from the boundary.
However, in the case of the Galway City Ring Road, homes in close proximity to the route will not receive compensation solely on the basis of their location near the development.
Mr Pender said he had been engaging with families and homeowners affected by the the project since before 2018, when he “hand-delivered” environmental updates to An Coimisiún Pleanála. He later went on to serve briefly in County Hall as Director of Services for Roads and Transport, also engaging in the ring road project then.
He said discussing the road plans with homeowners has been “one of the most difficult and emotive meetings that anyone can engage with.”
Separately, 54 homes are set to be demolished to make way for the road.
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Homeowners whose properties are acquired will be compensated through a valuation process, which includes provision for injurious affection, covering loss of value and other impacts on properties affected by major infrastructure projects such as the ring road.
Injurious affection differs from proximity-based compensation as it applies where a property’s value is demonstrably impacted, rather than being granted automatically due to its location.
According to Mr Pender, these valuations will be carried out independently of both local authorities by appointed valuers.
“From a legislation point of view, we [the Councils] have to stay at arm’s length,” Mr Pender said.
An Coimisiún Pleanála approved the Galway City Ring Road the second week of April. Teh project would connect the village of Barna to the M6. The road has been over two decades in the making facing enviornmental and infrastructure challenges.
An eight-week window remains open from the decision date for the plans to be brought up on a viable Judicial Review.