About

In January 2007, Sligo Airport, which is based in Strandhill, Co Sligo, applied to Sligo County Council for planning permission to extend the airport runway by 285 metres and to erect additional structures which includes new aviation lighting and security fencing.

The existing runway is land locked at both the east and west end. Their proposal to get around this is build an artificial platform of some 285 metres long and 160 metres wide on the east end of the runway on Dorrins Strand. This would include the re-routing of the channel that flows in the area with completely unpredictable consequences.

Public Concerns
The application raised immediate concern with local people. The concerns raised in two public meetings were manifold and can be summarised under the following headings:

1. Destruction and loss of beautiful visual amenity
2. Destruction of wildlife habitat, particularly for wintering water birds such as Brent Geese.
3. Loss to the community of access to the Dorrins & Cummeen Strand area for recreational uses for swimming/bathing, boating, angling, horse riding, walking and more.
4. The location is home to one of the biggest clam farming enterprises in Europe and the construction of the will basically close this business down with loss of 15-20 jobs.
5. Local residents are greatly concerned that the proposed construction and the diversion of the channel would have unpredictable effects on the access road to Coney Island.
6. Destruction and loss of a designated National Heritage Area (NHA), a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a designated Special Protection Area (SPA) under local, national and EU protection and legislation.
7. The area is also an internationally recognised location under The Ramsar International Convention due to its significance as an important habitat for wild birds.
8. The proposal would cost €10 million (and probably more) of public funds. It would also have enormous impacts on the local environment, ecology, and wildlife and on the whole quality of life for local residents. Despite this, no effort has been made by the Airport’s planning application or EIS to do a cost benefit analysis or a socio / economic benefit analysis.

Check out our photographs at this link

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View of Dorrins Strand From Top of Knocnareagh (That is Coney Island on far side of Dorrins Strand)

dorrins_from_knocknareagh

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“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.”
Ansel Adams