The fate of Shantalla park is down to a vote by Galway councillors - here's what you should know
The future of a cherished community amenity in one of Galway’s oldest housing estates will be decided next week when city councillors vote on whether to sell part of Shantalla Park to the HSE.
The proposed land transfer is due before a Galway City Council plenary meeting held at ATU campus on Monday, July 13.
The HSE says acquiring a section of the park is the most viable option for delivering key air ambulance infrastructure as part of its wider hospital expansion plans. However, the proposal has sparked fierce opposition among local residents, who fear the loss of valuable green space at the heart of their community.
With Monday’s vote set to determine whether the project can advance to its next stage, here is what you need to know before councillors make their decision.
The key item on Monday’s Galway City Council agenda is the proposed disposal of 3.68 acres of Shantalla Park under Section 183 of the Local Government Act.
The proposal requires the support of at least 10 councillors to proceed.
If approved, ownership of the land will transfer to the HSE, who will then seek planning permission for a permanent heliport as part of its long-term redevelopment plans for UHG.
If councillors reject the proposal, the land will remain in council ownership and the park will stay unchanged for now, which is the outcome sought by residents campaigning against the transfer.
A view of the existing, in-use hospital helipad from the pitch at Shantalla park.
HSE representatives told the Irish Independent at a public consultation this week there is no aviation “plan B” if the Shantalla lands are not transferred.
While acknowledging concerns about the loss of green space, officials said they do not currently know what alternative solution would be pursued should the proposal fail.
The HSE have agreed to pay €691,875 specifically for the land and will give an additional €1,180,125 towards the development of the remaining 1.2 acres of Shantalla park.
How that €1.2 million of “community gain” funding will be used will be decided by Shantalla residents through consultation with Galway City Council Parks and Amenities department.
The vote will come after a contentious public consultation process.
The HSE initially scheduled consultation events for early July but postponed them following criticism from Galway City councillors that they had not been updated with confirmation of BusConnects. Additionally, the consultation was scheduled for less than a week from the advertisement which could not constitute as “meaningful” consultation, Councillor Eibhlin Seoigthe said.
Outline of helipad proposal if land sale is successful. Red outline portrays what land the HSE will own with helipad, green outline portrays remainder of Shantalla park. BusConnects pathway is also reflected here.
New consultation sessions were subsequently organised at St Joseph’s Community Centre for July 9 and 10.
In response, the Shantalla Residents Association held an emergency public meeting on July 8 to organise opposition to both the proposed acquisition of parkland and the council vote needed to facilitate it.
Shantalla was developed as a council housing estate in the late 1940s. Many of the area’s early residents came from the Claddagh after government-led housing assessments in the 1930s deemed large numbers of thatched homes unfit for habitation, and they were torn down.
The park was developed alongside the housing scheme and has remained a central feature of community life ever since.
Shantalla Park residents association sitting outside consultation event on Thursday, July 9. © Dr Conan Reilly, head of association
That history was evident at Wednesday night’s residents’ meeting, where many spoke about their personal connections to the green space.
One resident recalled playing soccer on the pitch as a child, and years later watching her own children on the same pitch, reflecting a sentiment shared by many in attendance.
Today, the five-acre park sits between University Hospital Galway and St Joseph’s Community Centre with access points from both sides of the site.
According to HSE representatives, the proposed facility on Shantalla land would consist of one operational helipad and a second holding pad, allowing two helicopters to be accommodated simultaneously.
The site would be located on the section of parkland closest to the hospital and would include direct access into the UHG campus.
A deck proposed at the HSE consultation at St Joseph’s Community Centre.
The southern boundary of the site would be separated from the remaining park by a new access road for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. HSE representatives and Galway City Council parks officials confirmed the route is intended to incorporate the BusConnects corridor.
Although consultation documents describe the BusConnects element as “proposed”, HSE officials confirmed it forms part of the plans. The position follows calls from Galway City Council Director of Services Derek Pender for a “cast iron” guarantee on BusConnects integration earlier this year.
Questions were also raised about the future use of the land should the helipad not proceed.
On that point, both residents and councillors expressed concern. HSE representatives insisted the land is being sought solely for aviation purposes and said there are no alternative development plans for the site.
The helipad proposal under the DCP follows an agreement reached in 2013 between the HSE, Galway City Council and Shantalla residents to facilitate a temporary six-month helipad on part of the site.
Today, that helipad remains in use by the Irish Coast Guard having not been returned following the six-month period.
Separately, UHG already operates an active helipad to the north-east of the park for air ambulance services. This site will see one of the new hospital buildings built over it.
The helipad forms part of a much larger redevelopment strategy for UHG.
As a Model 4 hospital, UHG serves as the principal emergency and specialist care centre for the west and north-west.
Under the hospital’s Development Control Plan, the campus expansion will include a new emergency department, 300 additional patient beds, laboratory facilities, staff accommodation, a mental health inpatient unit, a permanent helipad and upgraded maternity and cancer services.
Aerial view of Shantalla Park and UHG, including both the temporary and established helipad existing.
HSE representatives said alternative options, including rooftop helipads on the earliest phases of development, were examined but ongoing construction would ultimately interfere with flight paths.
The first phases of the project do not include the emergency building, where a rooftop helipad is slated for consideration towards the completion of the development. The emergency building would be the only feasible consideration due to proximity to surgery theatres.
Officials said a rooftop helipad installed before completion of the wider campus redevelopment would create operational difficulties.
By the completion of the project, currently projected for 2045, the HSE expects the hospital campus to accommodate three separate helicopter access points.
Until that building is completed, the proposed Shantalla facility would serve as the hospital’s primary aviation hub.
For many residents, however, the issue extends beyond the helipad itself.
Shantalla Park Residents Association
Several people who spoke to the Irish Independent said they had lost trust in both the HSE and Galway City Council after years of uncertainty surrounding the future of the park.
“If [the HSE] get 1 inch of it, it’s all over,” one resident said.
“Keeping that pitch does not stop healthcare. We are not against healthcare.”
Four councillors attended the residents’ meeting, while six others submitted apologies.
Councillors John McDonagh and Eibhlin Seoige told residents they would vote against the transfer and encouraged people to attend the consultation sessions and contact elected representatives with their concerns.
The proposed land transfer will be decided at Galway City Council’s meeting on July 13, which will be held at Atlantic Technological University from 2pm.