The Creative Campus facility was proposed by Fiontar na Gréine Teoranta at the former Naomh Éinde Convent in the Gaeltacht village of An Spidéal.
The plans included a state-of-the-art library, multi-functional auditorium and 200-seat performance space venue.
Other facilities included a digital media education and training hub, meeting rooms, classrooms, an art gallery and a café.
The existing building would have also been redeveloped to provide an onsite student accommodation.
As part of the digital hub, it was intended to include a film and music digital archive.
There were a number of submissions made to the council in support of the campus including from Fáilte Ireland who wrote that the campus would provide the opportunity to further develop tourism and the Irish language.
A number of film, media and animation production companies in the region also submitted letters of support.
However, a number of concerns were also submitted to the planning department of the council in relation to the height, scale and massing of the proposed development on a protected site along with concerns over traffic.
Among them was the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, which submitted an observation in relation to the proposed removal of parking spaces beside Cill Éinde, the parish church of An Spidéal, which is adjacent to the proposed development.
The council has refused the planning application for the development stating that the proposed development would seriously injure the visual amenities within the architectural conservation area of An Spidéal.
It added that if permitted as proposed, the development would have an adverse impact on the integrity of the existing Naomh Éinde Convent and adjoining protected structures.
It also stated that the proposed three-story civic centre building is imposing by means of massing and scale and does not respect and enhance the built context of An Spidéal within the Core of the Architectural Conservation Area.
The refusal also cited concerns with traffic hazards saying that if permitted, the proposed development would potentially endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazards or obstruction of road users, and therefore would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
In response, Fiontar na Gréine Teoranta said it is not surprised by the council's decision to refuse the planning application.
"Unfortunately, it is our longstanding experience that the GCC (Galway County Council) Planning Department’s standard approach on projects located in Connemara is to seek to find reasons to refuse the application, rather than finding reasons to grant permission – GCC always focus on the negatives rather than embracing the positives.
"The net impact of this approach by GCC, is that Connemara is then denied the opportunity to secure new infrastructure and new services and this then places the Gaeltacht community at a disadvantage," it said.
Fiontar na Gréine Teoranta confirmed that it is their intention to appeal the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.
"In that appeal, we will demonstrate the flaws in GCC’s decision and we will be asking An Bord Pleanála to overturn GCC’s decision and to grant planning permission for the new Creative Education and Training Campus in Spiddal."