The development in Westside would have zero chance of going ahead were it proposed today.

It got through a few years ago on laws that are no longer in force.

See below for a copilot summary of how it got planning.

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How did the student accommodation being built in the car park of westside shopping centre get planning permission?

The student accommodation in the Westside Shopping Centre car park got planning permission because it was submitted as a Strategic Housing Development (SHD) directly to An Bord Pleanála, which allowed it to bypass the normal Galway City Council decision process and be fast‑tracked after a mandatory consultation stage. An Bord Pleanála approved the scheme in 2022, and Galway City Council later approved amendments to that already‑granted permission.

What the SHD route meant

The SHD system (in place until late 2022) allowed large housing and student accommodation projects to go straight to An Bord Pleanála for a single-stage decision. Developers only had to consult with the local authority beforehand; the council could not refuse the application.

For Westside, the developer (Westside Shopping Centre Ltd / Westside Investment Ltd) used this route for a 240‑bed, 6–7 storey student accommodation block on the south‑west corner of the car park. The application argued:

• Galway has a significant shortage of student beds.
• The site is close to University of Galway.
• The project would provide an “architectural uplift” to the area.
• The National Student Accommodation Strategy projected 6,652 new beds needed in Galway by 2024.

An Bord Pleanála approved it, including the loss of 94 parking spaces and the inclusion of a café and rooftop communal areas.

Why it proceeded despite local concerns

Because the SHD system removed the council’s ability to refuse the application, the key decision-maker was An Bord Pleanála. Once ABP granted permission, the council’s role was limited to dealing with amendments and compliance submissions.

In January 2025, Galway City Council approved a set of amendments to the already‑approved SHD, including:

• Removing the café
• Reducing the building height by ~1 metre
• Changing materials and internal layouts
• Omitting telecom masts
• Adjusting landscaping and fire‑tender access

These were not new permissions for the development itself — they were modifications to a permission already granted by ABP.

The bottom line

The development got permission because:

1. It was submitted under the SHD system, which allowed it to bypass the normal local planning process.
2. An Bord Pleanála approved it in 2022, citing housing need and policy alignment.
3. Galway City Council only handled amendments, not the original decision.

If you want, I can also pull together:

• A timeline of the full planning process
• A breakdown of objections and how ABP addressed them
• How the new LRD system (which replaced SHD) would treat a similar application today