City planners place more demands on Galway soup kitchen

The proprietor of Twist soup kitchen in Galway has said the City Council are just being picky, after they asked him to install disabled toilet access as part of new planning conditions.

Galway city Council has written to Oliver Williams to outline changes that must be made before the building on Queen Street fully complies with planning regulations.

Mr Williams told mypurplechair.com that the changes include the provision of a disabled toilet for patrons, removal of external, flashing signage and the installation of an adequate, extraction-ventilation system.

“A disabled toilet is not going to break us and if we have to do it we will do it.

“At least they have not declined us planning. This is a gateway for us to get planning. Although it may be a negative there is a positive side to this also".

The Athenry native said the feedback he was getting from the public on the matter was that the Council was just being picky and  in fact bullying the Twist set-up.

City planners were due to make a decision on the change of use of the premises from a garage to a kitchen facility last week. However, this decision has now been further delayed until more details on these three compliance queries are received from Twist.

Williams said although he was yet to receive the physical letter from planners on the matter and heard the news from the media, that if and when he did, he would read it and try and comply with the issues as best he can.

Williams opened Twist in Galway last June. The service provides a hot meal for over 85 people per day.

He also runs similar kitchens in Athlone and Roscommon and has further plans to expand Twist to areas in Sligo, Limerick, Offaly and Dublin. 

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