Scheme Overview
Galway City Council, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority and the Department of Housing’s Urban Regeneration Development Fund, commenced the Cross Street Rejuvenation Project in May 2024 with the appointment of BDP (Building Design Partnership) as the lead architect of the Multi-Disciplinary Design team for the design of redevelopment works on Cross Street, Middle Street, Buttermilk Lane and Buttermilk Walk in the city centre.
The project aims to enhance the public realm of these streets, in line with the strategic objectives of Galway City Council’s Public Realm Strategy to lift the quality of the streetscape and achieve a level of consistency in the design. The project also aims to prioritise safety for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging a modal shift away from private car use. This will help to reduce congestion in the city centre, offering users the health benefits of active travel and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The design development will also seek to incorporate further measures to protect the environment including Sustainable Urban Drainage and Nature Based Solutions, where feasible. These improvements to the city centre network will support a living city, enhance the walkability of the city centre, add to the character of streetscape, and allow for a continuous experience of high-quality streets for visitors.
| Progress to date | |
| May 2024 | Appointment of BDP (Building Design Partnership) as the lead architect of the Multi-Disciplinary Design team for the design |
| August 2024 |
As part of our initial fact-finding stage and to begin to form design options, Galway City Council held a series of Stakeholder Engagement Workshops in An Taibhdhearc, Middle Street, Galway in August 2024. The feedback received during these workshops has informed the design process in respect to understanding the Place and Context. Details of this event, and of the feedback received, are available under Public Engagement Page. |
| October 2024 | Publication of the first Consultation Plan and Database, following the Engagement Workshops in August 2024. |
| January 2025 |
Following a review of the feedback received from the Engagement Workshops in August 2024, a review of the strategic and policy basis for the scheme and initial studies and surveys, a second non-statutory stakeholder workshop was held in January 2025 to present project options to stakeholders. This gathered further feedback to inform the design and refine the number of options deemed suitable to be progressed to the Options Assessment Stage. Details of this event, and of the feedback received, are available under Public Engagement Page. |
| April 2025 |
Publication of the Updated Consultation Plan and Database, following the Engagement Workshops of January 2025. |
Next Steps:
Following the completion of the second non-statutory stakeholder workshop in January 2025, the viable options identified through the engagement feedback will now progress through the Options Assessment/Appraisal Process to identify an Emerging Preferred Option. The appraisal of the viable options will be undertaken in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform's Infrastructure Guidelines. Following the identification of an Emerging Preferred Option and approval from the funding authorities on same, further engagement workshops will be progressed as part of the Preliminary Design stage of the project.
If you have any questions or comments related to this scheme, please contact Galway City Council’s Urbanism and Placemaking Team on urbanism@galwaycity.ie.