Chapter 6 Community And Culture
6.1 Aim, Context and Strategy
6.2 Social Inclusion
6.3 Community and Cultural Facilities
6.4 Educational Facilities
6.5 Childcare Facilities
6.6 Burial Grounds
6.7 Institutional Lands
6.8 Arts and Cultural Heritage
6.9 Gaeltacht
6.10 Specific Objectives for Community and Culture
Aim
To promote an inclusive city which is accessible to all members of the community and facilitate the sustainable and viable development of necessary community, social and cultural infrastructure. To support the development of the arts and the unique Gaeltacht cultural and linguistic heritage of the city.
Context
Galway City has a diverse range of community, social and cultural facilities, many of which operate on a regional level. The legacy of a unique culture and arts heritage is given testimony by the number of arts groups, events and festivals in the city. This is further enhanced by the Gaeltacht status which gives the city a rich cultural and linguistic heritage. Within such a context and with such dynamic changes in the city, it is inevitable that the demand for a variety of different community, cultural and social facilities will continue to increase and change.
It is acknowledged that the delivery of many of these services is outside the jurisdiction of the Council. However, the Council can facilitate and co-ordinate the location of these facilities within residential areas and other appropriate areas to service the community. Where community cultural and social infrastructure is provided, it greatly improves the quality of life for the citizens, and encourages a more inclusive and self-sustaining society. A central tenet in the provision of these facilities is to promote social inclusion in the city. The Council in signing the Barcelona Declaration, is committed to the promotion of social inclusion in the city, particularly in relation to the continued improvement of accessibility within the built environment. In the development of these services the Council will be aware of the need to continue to preserve the distinctiveness of Galway and of the contribution such services can make to the local economy.
The Planning and Development Act 2000 specifies that it should be an objective of the development plan to ensure the integration of the proper planning and sustainable development of the city with the social, community and cultural requirements of the population. Although this is a new statutory requirement since the adoption of the 1999 City Development Plan a number of measures and projects have been carried out which contribute to the social well being of the city. This new objective provides linkage between the development plan and the GCDB Strategy, Gaillimh Beo agus Bríomhar 2002 – 2012. The GCDB strategy provides the socio-economic context for the development plan, while the plan provides the land use dimension for the achievement of the goals of the strategy. In its vision for Galway City up to 2012, the GCBD has set goals each supported by a number of key objectives. It is the aim of this plan to incorporate the social, economic and cultural development goals outlined in the GCDB strategy with the sustainable physical development of the city. The various policies of this plan will be informed by and reflect the socio-economic and cultural goals of the strategy.
There are a number of ongoing measures which facilitate the aims of the Council with regard to community and cultural facilities. These include the designated I.A.P. urban renewal areas which have attracted investment in community facilities in particular in Westside and Ballybaan. In addition, five areas in the city have been designated as RAPID II areas: Bohermore, Ballybaan, Ballinfoile, New Mervue and Westside. The objective of the RAPID II plan is to enhance the quality of life, support opportunities for community development and promote social inclusion in these areas. Other measures included the variation of the 1999 City Development Plan to make specific provision for lands for community and social facilities of Castlegar, Doughiska and Knocknacarra.
Since the adoption of the 1999 City Development Plan a number of community projects have been facilitated by the Council. These include the construction of public libraries and resource centres at Westside and Ballybaan. Potential school sites have been purchased in Doughiska and Knocknacarra and additional lands have also been acquired for other community purposes in these areas. Acquisition of lands for the purposes of recreational and amenity throughout the city is on-going, this will add to the significant bank of land acquired since 1999, including at Hunter’s Caravan Park, and Cappagh Park, and at Dangan Woods.
In tandum with the I.A.P. for Ballybaan, a village centre has been established with significant support from the Council and the local Credit Union – St. Columbas. This village centre includes for a mix of community, commercial and local enterprise facilities. This will be a model for what is anticipated on lands acquired by the Council at Castlegar. Such a development at Castlegar would contribute to achieving neighbourhood facilities for the existing population and the emerging new neighbourhoods.
Strategy
• Support the GCDB strategy Gaillimh Beo agus Bríomhar 2002 – 2012 in particular the economic, social and cultural goals and where appropriate ensure that these are reflected in the land use policies of the development plan.
• Integrate the sustainable development of the city with the social, economic and cultural considerations of the GCBD strategy.
• Create a self-sustaining and integrated city community.
• Encourage a socially inclusive society.
• Promote an inclusive and accessible environment, in line with the Council’s commitment to the Barcelona Declaration.
• Facilitate and co-ordinate with the relevant service providers, the provision of sustainable community, cultural and social infrastructure.
• Promote and protect the City’s unique cultural and linguistic heritage.
Social inclusion is the term used to describe the process by which efforts are made to ensure that everyone regardless of their background, experiences and circumstances can gain access to the services and facilities they need to achieve their own potential in life. The concept of social inclusion is the creation of an inclusive society, a striving for reduced inequality and increased social cohesion. The social needs of the community can be recognised and addressed in the planning of the built environment, in order to create living and integrated communities. The Council will through their policies on housing, community facilities, childcare, employment opportunities and accessibility encourage social inclusion. This is an approach supported by National Anti-Poverty Strategy 2002, GCDB strategy and Rapid II programme, which seeks to counteract undue social segregation and exclusion within the community.
With regard to housing in the Housing Strategy in Chapter 10 seeks to prevent the undue segregation between persons of different income levels. It encourages a variety of house types and sizes throughout the city to cater for a wide range of people including families, single households and people with special needs.
With regards to community facilities, the Council requires childcare facilities in residential areas and other appropriate areas. The Council also supports the provision of specific facilities, including community centres, resource centres, library services and community crèches.
With regards to employment the Council encourages sustainable opportunities by designating lands for employment, support services that will attract investment and encourage accessibility by all modes of transport, in particular public transport.
The Council encourages an improved and inclusive built environment. This includes for safe and easy access for all, in the area of housing, transport, built environment and the public realm within the city. This approach reinforces the Council’s commitment as a signatory to the Barcelona Declaration. More specifically the city has been selected as one of the pilot implementation areas of the Barcelona Declaration in the country. This pilot project aims to promote, along with other actions, accessibility and inclusion within the built environment and includes specific measures regarding this aim to be implemented on an annual basis by the Council.
An established part of social inclusion is also the need for public participation and consultation in the planning process.
Policy no. 6.2 - Social Inclusion
• Proactively promote all forms of social inclusion, where feasible in land use planning particularly in housing, community facilities, employment opportunities, public transport and accessibility.
• Support and promote the various aims of the Council to give effect to the Barcelona Declaration.
• Support the development, provision and improvement of essential facilities and amenities within communities in the city.
• Continue to encourage active public participation in the planning process in line with Local Agenda 21 principles.
• Promote the concept of ‘life-time adaptability’ in housing design in residential developments.
• Facilitate the implementation of the Housing Strategy in particular with regard to reducing undue segregation and the provision of special needs accommodation.
• Co-operate with the Access for All Committee and other organisations representing people with disabilities to provide equal access for all citizens particularly in the area of housing, transport, built environment and the public realm within the city.
6.3 Community and Cultural Facilities
A wide range of different community, cultural facilities and social services exist within the city ranging from those of regional importance such as education and health facilities, to those of local and neighbourhood importance such as places of worship, community centres and crèches. The recent rapid growth experienced in the city, combined with social and cultural changes has created substantial demand for an extended range of services. It is important to facilitate the development and expansion of such services in order to improve the quality of life for all. Community services, which have a wide catchment, should be at accessible locations in terms of all modes of transport.
Small-scale facilities serving local need should be located in residential areas and commercial neighbourhood centres. This will contribute to sustainable residential neighbourhoods as discussed in Chapter 2.
Policy no. 6.3 - Community and Cultural Facilities
• Facilitate balanced and equitable provision of community services and cultural facilities throughout the city, through policies, zoning objectives and specific designations.
• Impose development levies under the development contribution scheme where appropriate, to assist in the provision of community facilities.
• Encourage and facilitate the provision of a range of community services, including local health services, services for the elderly, places of worship and cultural facilities.
• Ensure that proposed cultural and community developments adequately address accessibility for all modes of transport within their layouts.
• Encourage design flexibility in buildings of community and cultural use, so that the buildings can be adapted in ways which allow for a diversity of different uses and accessibility for all, including people with disabilities.
• Co-ordinate with other service providers in the provision of community and cultural facilities.
Education has an important economic role and has made an enormous contribution to the rise of national productivity and improvements in material living standards in recent years. The National Spatial Strategy, 2002,DOEHLG, when identifying Galway as a gateway city acknowledged the capacity the city has for innovation in education, research and development. The city has a significant role in the provision of education facilities. There are 27 primary schools, 11 second level schools, a number of colleges and two major third level institutions in the city.
Fig. no. 6.1 – Existing and Estimated Pre-school, School and Third Level Education Age Groups from 2002 to 2022.
Galway City’s population figures from 1996 to 2002 and projections to 2022 indicate that ultimately the primary school going population will peak in 2012 and decrease subsequently. Thus there will be sustained increasing demand for primary school places and this will be transferred subsequently on to secondary schools within the city. This generated demand is greatest within expanding residential areas which is in contrast to the location of many schools. The approach of the Council will be to encourage the location of schools adjacent to residential areas and public transport routes. This would be in the interest of sustainability and making facilities more accessible to the main users. In this regard the Council has designated three sites for the provision of school facilities located at:
• North of Western Distributor Road between Barna Stream and Ballymoneen Road,
• East of Clybaun Road,
• Doughiska.
Measures are also included in the vicinity of these three sites, for “safe routes to school”, through the reservation of designated pedestrian and cycle ways and public transport access routes.
Two major third level colleges are located in the city: the National University of Galway (NUI Galway) and Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). These contribute to the gateway status of the city. A large full time student population exists in the city of approximately 15,000 attending both NUI Galway and GMIT. GMIT currently caters for approximately 4,500 full time students (approximately 5,500 including both full time and part time students) and has a strategy to expand full time and part time student numbers. A total of 12,182 full time students and 2167 part time students attend NUI Galway. This student population is expected to stabilise at 12,500 full time students by 2008. The further development of the city as a gateway is dependent on continuing investment and innovation in education through its third level institutions and the effective linkages these institutions have with industry.
Policy no. 6.4 - Educational Facilities
• Ensure that sufficient lands are designated for the establishment, improvement or expansion of education facilities within the city.
• Safeguard lands within residential areas for educational purposes in order to serve existing and future need.
• Ensure that the design of all educational establishments incorporate facilities for sustainable transport measures and public transport.
• Ensure that safe and easy access for people with disabilities is incorporated in the design of all development proposals (including extensions, alterations and changes of uses).
• Support the relocation of city centre based schools to more suitable sites near residential areas and public transport routes and allow for high density sustainable uses on the vacated sites, where appropriate.
The Council acknowledges the importance of childcare provision in the social life and economy of the city. There are continuing increases in the participation of women in the workforce, therefore creating an increased demand for childcare facilities. The planning system can facilitate the sustainable development of childcare facilities in line with the ministerial Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Childcare Facilities, June 2001, DOEHLG.
In particular it is the policy of the Council in all new housing areas over 75 units, to require the provision of one childcare facility with a minimum of 20 childcare spaces. Exceptions to this will only be allowed where there are substantiated reasons not to provide such a facility, for example if there are adequate childcare facilities in adjoining developments or the immediate area. The onus is on the applicant to substantiate such exceptional cases.
The Council will be open to consider alternative arrangements where the overall objectives of providing childcare facilities within new housing areas can be otherwise achieved, e.g. provision of one purpose-built facility with more than minimum capacity shared between housing developments.
In addition to the above, childcare facilities will be considered in residential areas through conversion of existing dwellings, where they do not have an undue negative effect on the residential environment. However, a residential accommodation content may be required to be retained in accordance with the provisions outlined under Chapter 11, Section no. 11.3.1(i). In order to safeguard residential amenities, the Council may limit the scale of development.
In major industrial estates, business and technology parks and any other developments that generate major employment opportunities, the Council will encourage the provision of on-site childcare facilities as part of these developments. In large-scale retail, leisure or tourism developments, in particular, shopping centres, the provision of a drop-in childcare facility for shoppers will be encouraged.
Policy no. 6.5 - Childcare Facilities
• Facilitate the development of childcare facilities at a number of suitable locations, such as, within residential areas, places of employment, city centre, neighbourhood and district centres, in the vicinity of educational and community establishments and adjacent to public transport nodes
• Contribute to the provision of childcare facilities by requiring that such facilities be provided in conjunction with residential developments over 75 dwelling units.
The City has two burial grounds. New Cemetery and Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery have collectively a spare capacity of approximately 5 - 7years. Given the projected population growth of the city over the period of this plan, the Council will need to source an appropriate site for burial grounds and associated services such as a crematorium.
Policy no. 6.6 - Burial Grounds
• To maintain existing burial grounds and provide for a new burial ground and associated services to serve the city.
A considerable amount of land in the city is in institutional use of an educational, health, residential or other character. These lands vary in size, layout and function. Some institutional lands with substantial open grounds may be accessible to the wider community. The open character of these sites and any associated buildings of merit are valuable assets to their surrounding environments.
Previous development plans recognised that some of these lands would become surplus to institutional requirements and in such cases residential use or uses compatible with that of adjoining zones if considered more appropriate were permissible. While some institutional lands, which become surplus to requirements will in the future be appropriate locations for residential and other development, there are institutional lands, which due to location and/or character should be retained for institutional or community uses for the long term benefit of the city. In these cases specific development objectives have been included in chapter 11. In situations where remaining institutional lands, become surplus to institutional requirements the Council may permit an alternative use for all or part of the land. This is providing that the proposed use would be compatible with residential zoning (or that of adjoining zones if considered more appropriate) and the policies and objectives of the plan. Development of these lands will normally be required to retain buildings of character and some of the original open character. Public access should be promoted where traditionally enjoyed or where there is a significant amenity associated with lands.
Some institutional buildings of merit are included in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS), which are of major significance to the character of an area and may by virtue of scale or layout prove difficult to convert to residential use. In these cases consideration may be given to conversion to cultural, community or office uses where this would not involve significant changes to the character of such structures and would not be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
Policy no. 6.7 - Institutional Lands
• Facilitate and promote the development of institutional land within the city.
• Where it is demonstrated that certain institutional lands are surplus to requirements, the Council will consider residential use or uses compatible with that of adjoining zones or specifically require that the lands be retained for alternative institutional uses.
• Retain the existing open character of institutional lands where residential development is permitted and reserve a minimum 20% of the total site area for communal open space.
• Promote the retention of public access to these lands where this has been traditionally enjoyed or where there is a significant amenity associated with lands.
6.8 Arts and Cultural Heritage
Galway has a strong and vibrant cultural tradition. Its cultural heritage has become one of the city’s principal tourist attractions. This highlighted by the several events and festivals of national and international distinction and by its cohesive and well-established local arts community. In addition the local arts culture is greatly enhanced by Galway being the only city located in a Gaeltacht area. The Irish language forms an integral part of the cultural identity of the city. There is great potential to further develop the bilingual cultural identity of the city and its reputation for innovative cultural activity. The Council acknowledges this and will explore the development of culture and arts in the city.
The existing infrastructure of Galway includes theatres, performance spaces, galleries, art centres and outdoor venues. Despite the range of existing facilities, the Council recognises that there is a deficit of culture and arts infrastructure in the city. This is also recognised by the GCDB strategy Gaillimh Beo agus Bríomhar 2002-2012 which reinforces the significance of the arts and outlines that in order to enhance the culture of the city the infrastructural needs must be expanded. The Galway City Councils Arts Plan 2002 to 2005 recognises the Council’s role in the promotion and encouragement of the arts and culture. The maintenance of arts and cultural identity is essential for the well being of the city and to this end the Council will liase with the relevant organisations working in this area.
Policy no. 6.8 - Arts and Cultural Heritage
• Facilitate and encourage the provision of new and improved arts and culture facilities in the city including in district or neighbourhood centres where appropriate.
• Support and facilitate the aims of the Galway City Council Arts Plan 2002 to 2005 and any subsequent arts plans.
• Ensure that all construction projects undertaken by the Council which are supported by government funding be considered for the ‘Per cent for Art’ Scheme.
• Encourage large-scale developments throughout the city to incorporate works of public art.
• Require arts and culture infrastructure to be integrated into large scale re/development on key sites in the city centre area which include lands at Headford Road, Ceannt Station, and the Harbour area.
• Support the development of a municipal arts gallery, concert hall, science museum, writers centre and school of performing arts in the city.
• Commit to the establishment of a school of music within the city in conjunction with all interested bodies.
The Planning and Development Act 2000 - 2004 requires development plans to include objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht. It is acknowledged that development plans are not the principal mechanism for the protection of the Gaeltacht but they can contribute to the promotion of the special culture and Irish language associated with Gaeltacht areas. In this context the Council will have regard in particular to the GCDB strategy which sets out goals relating to the fostering of Gaeltacht traditions in the city. The development plan can support and provide the land-use dimension which will help achieve some of these goals.
Almost half of the area of the city has Gaeltacht status, but this rich cultural and linguistic heritage is felt throughout the city. It is recognised that this heritage makes an important contribution to the distinctive character of Galway City and makes it a more enriched place to live and visit.
Within Irish cities, Galway has the highest use of the Irish language in proportion to population. Just over 31,000 people within the city stated that they can speak Irish with approximately 20% of these stating that they speak Irish daily (Census 2002). In addition the numbers attending the gaelscoilenna in the city have increased, which augurs well for the language in the future. In this regard, the Council supports “Gaillimh le Gaeilge” and have an Irish Officer, ‘Oifigeach Gaeilge’, who actively promotes Irish language development and is proactive in the delivery of services through Irish. The Council recognises the importance of the language and the distinctive associated culture and therefore aims to protect and promote the Gaeltacht heritage where possible.
In the last twelve years, Council policies have promoted the Irish language strongly in particular with regard to the naming of new roads, residential place names and signage on shop-fronts. Due to the positive role of the Irish language in contributing to Galway’s distinct character, these policies shall continue and shall be strengthened.
Policy no. 6.9 - Gaeltacht
• Protect and promote the distinctive Gaeltacht cultural and linguistic heritage of the city.
• Encourage the use of Irish/ bi-lingual signs in the commercial and public realm.
• Promote the use of the Irish language in the naming of all new residential developments and public roads.
• Facilitate the development of infrastructure where appropriate which supports the promotion of the cultural and linguistic heritage of the city.
• Develop the City Museum on the site to the rear of the Spanish Arch.
• Establish and develop a new burial ground to serve the city which will accommodate associated services.
• Facilitate the development of community and educational facilities at Castlegar, Doughiska and Knocknacarra.
• Reserve lands at Knocknacarra, Ballinfoile and Doughiska for the purposes of neighbourhood centre uses which will accommodate a mix of uses primarily of public/community nature. In the event that these lands become unnecessary, these lands can be used for uses compatible with the R residential land use zoning.
• Facilitate the provision of a community centre as part of the overall development of the shopping centre (Joyces) on lands located between and adjoining Kingston Road and Shangort Road.
• Reserve lands east of Clybaun Road and at Doughiska for school use. In the event that these lands become unnecessary, these lands can be used for uses compatible with the relevant R residential and RA recreational/amenity zonings.
• To consider the reservation of CC lands at Mill Street adjacent to the Garda Station for the development of an extension of Mill Street Garda Station.