By Dara Bradley

The backers of a light rail system for Galway City are exploring the possibility of whether they can bypass the local authority to obtain planning permission for a proposed GLUAS system.

Tram Power Ltd, which advises the GLUAS campaign, have lodged documents with An Bórd Pleanála and applied for a Pre-Application Consultation with the planning appeals board.

It is understood the pre-consultation application was lodged in order to get a meeting with An Bórd Pleanála to find out if the light-rail proposal could be considered a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID).

SIDs are generally large scale projects of major strategic, planning, economic and infrastructural importance to a region, town or city.

SID projects, such as the Ceannt Station and Galway Harbour redevelopments, do not go through the regular planning procedures and are determined directly by An Bórd Pleanála.

In the case of GLUAS, if An Bórd Pleanála decides during the pre-application consultation that it should be considered an SID, then proponents of GLUAS could bypass Galway City Council and apply directly to the planning appeals board.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.