People Before Profit Waterford welcomes the refusal of Planning permission for any housing or commercial development on Gallwey’s Hill, Tramore. Over a hundred submissions were made to Waterford Council Planning office, objecting on various grounds to private development on this land. A petition with 900 signatures was ready for a campaign if permission was granted.
Local PBP representative Una Dunphy said “This is great news. The people of Tramore were quick out of the traps in opposition to this proposal. Discussion and disagreement to anything that would take this viewing platform from the town were immediate on social media and on various platforms. A broad range of voices spoke out in opposition to losing this iconic view”.
This was the second proposal in six months for the site, which drew discussion from many Tramore residents regarding how the town could best benefit from a site which had been abandoned for decades.
Una continues “There was a good deal of conversation when this came up first as a commercial development, people were adamant that this was not a direction that they wanted to see their town go. Suggestions of a Viewing Gallery, similar to Dun Caoin Co.Kerry, with a Community Garden, An Access for All area with employment opportunities for locals with disabilities, were just some of the proposals made. There were many ideas and this is what the Council should move on to safeguard our areas of natural beauty, for the benefit of everyone”.
