Planners will prepare a Local Area Plan (LAP) for Murrough, encompassing lands owned by Galway Mayo Institute of Technology earmarked for a new sports campus.

Galway City Council has also agreed to work with GMIT to achieve “safe and suitable” access to Murrough House and surrounding lands.

The agreement by the local authority to prepare an LAP, and work towards providing access to the restricted site, could pave the way for GMIT to develop a sports campus fronting onto Galway Bay.

The third level institute’s plans to develop its lands at Murrough out the Dublin Road on the east of the city, have been hampered by the lack of an area plan and restricted access.

Located between the Dublin-Galway main railway line and Galway Bay and only accessible from the sea or over an uncontrolled level crossing, Murrough House on 20 acres of land was purchased by GMIT in 2003 for €4 million.

The house is a listed protected structure as are the level crossing gates. It has remained vacant since it was purchased 13 years ago.

GMIT purchased nearby Murrough Lodge in 2013 for €50,000 to improve access to Murrough lands.

Figures previously released to this newspaper under Freedom of Information show it is costing almost €50,000 on average per annum for maintenance, upkeep and other costs including caretaking, energy, and one-off repairs for Murrough House.

GMIT submitted its plan to the City Council, as part of the Galway City Development Plan for the next five years.

During debate on the plan, Labour Party city councillor Billy Cameron proposed that members accept the submission, with the addition that GMIT provide an area plan, and fund it.

This was seconded, but then withdrawn, by Independent Terry O’Flaherty.

Senior planner Caroline Phelan pointed out that GMIT is only a part-owner of these lands, so to carry out a full plan of the area would be difficult. She said it was misleading to say that the Council was stalling the development.

“It will be solved by making a safe access onto the site (ie. across the railway line),” she said.

Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said Murrough lands are worth developing. He said the key limiting factor is the access issue.

It would be wrong to impose requirements on GMIT when they are not the only land owners and there are various stakeholders, and they need to come together to address this, he said.

“Councillors may have a different view, but what’s needed is a willpower to tackle the problem and fund it. GMIT are saying they have a land bank and should develop it,” said Mr McGrath.

The stakeholders were: GMIT, Irish Rail, City Council, and other land owners.

The issue was parked but councillors returned to it at the next development plan meeting. They agreed a wording, which was proposed by Independent Declan McDonnell and seconded by Sinn Féin’s Cathal Ó Conchúir, which paves the way for a LAP to be drawn up, and working towards addressing access issues to the site.

“The Council will prepare an LAP for the Murrough area. The aim of the LAP is to ensure the reservation of a substantial land bank for recreational purposes. The plan will allow mixed-use development, which will maximise the development of recreational facilities and will create a vibrant area with efficient public transport links to the rest of the city. It will integrate with the amenity facilities at Ballyloughane Beach.

“The plan will take account of the sensitive ecological environment at this location and will incorporate appropriate measures to mitigate against flood risk. In order to achieve the necessary recreational facilities, two thirds of the area will be reserved for this purpose,” the development plan reads.

Councillors also agreed that the Council, “will endeavour to work in partnership with the college to achieve a safe and suitable access to service the lands that will, in turn, facilitate their use for sports and ancillary facilities.”

GMIT’s stated objective in purchasing the site was to develop the lands and sea front into a sports ground including water based activities for students.

The plan was for three pitches; and the house, measuring almost 7,000 square feet, was earmarked for marine research or possibly a clubhouse and dressing rooms.

GMIT also planned to give the Council one mile of shore frontage so that the local authority could develop a walkway from Murrough into the city and on to Salthill and Barna.

In 2008, GMIT submitted a planning application to develop sports pitches on the lands. It withdrew the application pending the drawing up of an LAP, which has now been included in the city’s development plan from 2017 onwards.