- Councillors seek a joint meeting on the Galway Airport site at Carnmore.
- All six commercial Expressions of Interest bids were rejected.
- The site was purchased for €1.1m in 2013 and could be worth upwards of €10m.
- Councillor Noel Thomas and Councillor Mary Hoade proposed full member meetings.
- Proposals include an enterprise zone, aviation hub and air ambulance base.
Galway local councillors are seeking a joint workshop involving all 39 county councillors and 18 city councillors to decide the future of the Galway Airport site at Carnmore. The push follows the decision by Galway County Council and Galway City Council to reject all six commercial Expressions of Interest bids to buy or lease the strategic 118.2-acre site. An expert evaluation panel concluded that none of the proposals adequately demonstrated the capacity to realise the site’s full potential.
Councillor Noel Thomas voiced opposition to smaller group meetings arguing that a landmark decision of this scale requires a full debate with all 39 county members present. Councillor Mary Hoade proposed a unified one-off workshop combining all 57 members across both local authorities. The site was jointly purchased by the councils for €1.1m in 2013 after commercial operations ceased with estimates now valuing it at upwards of €10m.
Council management intends to look at international best practice to form a new joint entity incorporating local national and private sector input to develop the land. Community and political debate continues regarding what should happen to the site including proposals for an enterprise and economic zone an aviation and innovation hub and an emergency and aero-medical base.
