Board of Sligo Airport asked to look at alternative greenfield site

Posted on October 31, 2007 | Filed Under Media

From the Ocean FM website this morning.

Oct 30, 3:52 am
Six Sligo County Councillors have tabled a motion for next week’s county council meeting to call on the Board of Sligo Airport to engage consultants to examine the possibility and cost of locating Sligo Airport on a new green field site.

The motion has been signed by Councillors Declan Bree, Deirdre Healy McGowan, Sean McManus, Jim McGarry, Tony McLoughlin and Imelda Henry.

This motion came about following a meeting between Dorrin and Cumeen Conservation Group and all county councillors representing the Sligo/Strandhill area.

At that meeting it emerged that the Airport Board had not examined the possibility of locating the airport to a new greenfield site.

Chairperson of the Dorrin and Cumeen Conservation Group John McDermott says he’s confident this motion will be passed at next week’s County Council meeting

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Presentation given to Sligo County Councillors on Sligo Airport Extension plans

Posted on October 18, 2007 | Filed Under Events, Media, Pictures

This was the slide presentation given to Sligo County Councillors on 4th October 2007 by members of the Dorrins-Cummeeen Conservation Group.

SlideShare | View | Upload your own

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Press Release – Call to Investigate Re-location of Sligo Airport

Posted on October 8, 2007 | Filed Under Press Releases

Successful Meeting On Airport Controversy

Members of the Dorrin’s & Cummeen Strand Conservation Group (DCCG) hosted a successful and useful meeting with local councillors on Thursday evening (4th Oct 2007) at Strandhill. The councillors who attended included Cllr’s Albert Higgins, Sean McManus, Imelda Henry, Declan Bree, Tony McLoughlin, and Jim McGarry. Cllr Deirdre Healy McGowan sent apologies.

The meeting proved to be a very constructive exchange of views between all parties concerned and opened up alternatives that could now be explored.

Firstly, the DCCG made a comprehensive presentation to the Councillors using visual aids and large photographs. They presented, in a very visually graphic way, the impacts that the proposed runway extension would have on the local landscape, wildlife, ecology and not least local residents.

The graphic description of the total destruction of Dorrin’s strand made it clear to everyone that it was a nonsense to maintain, as the airport board does in its planning application, that the environment can be protected, jobs in the shell fish industry saved or that the rights of way of the community would be unimpeded.

The councillors present, including those on the Airport board, agreed that in any other circumstances they would oppose a proposal to build any structure on Dorrin’s strand. For example if a developer applied to build a row of houses in the same location on the strand everyone would be against it and it would not get planning permission based on its effect on the environment, the fact that it would be against EU law and also would be in contravention of the County Development Plan among many other obvious reasons. As an indication of how planning sensitive this area is local residence gave instances of not getting planning permission to build one house way up from the shore and others who had to wait 10 years to get theirs.

The only way that planning could be given for such a development was if it was an issue of great national need and if there were no alternatives.

The reason given why councillors on the board of the Airport voted for this development was because they believed that there was no alternatives and without the extension onto Dorrin’s strand the airport would close..

It was suggested by the meeting that there was no evidence that there was any in-debth study done of the alternative ways the runway could be extended on the present site. It was accepted by the councillors on the airport board that there was no study done on the feasibility of moving the airport to a green field site.

All those present agreed that Sligo should have the type of infrastructural development that would allow it achieve its objectives as a Gateway City. The view was expressed that, in its current location, Sligo Airport could never achieve those objectives.

What are the Alternatives?

In the second half of the meeting there was a full discussion on what the alternatives are. A number of people pointed out that even with the proposed runway extension, Sligo Airport in its current location would still experience severe limitations. The Airport would only be able to cater for the same type of turbo prop aircraft currently used. So even with the destruction of Dorrin’s Strand the airport would provide no extra benefits.

There is no prospect that, even with the extension, the Airport could handle jet aircraft similar to those used by Ryanair, Easyjet or Aer Lingus for carrying larger numbers of passengers directly to continental Europe. It will therefore not be able to provide the kind of air access that Sligo – the Gateway City, needs and deserves.

One local businessman present, who travels extensively by air, contrasted Sligo Strandhill Airport with Kerry Airport. He stated that Sligo Airport, while located in its current location at Strandhill, can never be an adequate airport. “Sligo deserves better” was the sentiment being expressed.

It was strongly suggested by several people present that the best location for a new Sligo Airport, to replace the current one, is somewhere close to main arterial road routes. The project should be to build an airport with a runway long enough to accommodate jet aircraft and which would provide adequate air access to the North West region for the next 50 years, and integrated with other modes of transport.

Many people present were attracted to the idea of building a new replacement airport on a greenfield site close to N4 / N17 in the Collooney area. This would leave the lands currently owned by the Airport in Strandhill available for more sensitive development.

It was seen as regrettable that the Airport board had not explored the alternatives with the community before now. If they had it seems likely that they would not now be putting us all under the threat – We need to destroy Dorrin’s strand or the airport closes.

It was suggested that a package could be put together which would make it economically possible to build the airport on a green field site. A number of people are to work on this.

The big fear is that Dorrin’s strand would be destroyed for ever and in a few years time the new extended runway would prove to be too short and the airport would then have to move or close.

No one present could guarantee that this would not happen. This is no way to plan for sustainable development.

Councillors asked for support

This part of the meeting explored how councillors could support the group in its efforts to protect Dorrin’s strand from destruction. Their main influence is in getting appropriate motions passed at council meetings. It was agreed to work on possible motions particularly ones in relation to getting research done on all the alternatives for Sligo airport and to explore how these options could be financed and progressed.

The meeting ended and the Councillors who attended were thanked for their participation and constructive exchange of ideas.

ENDS

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Briefing Statement Provided to Sligo County Councillors on Sligo Airport Extension plans

Posted on October 5, 2007 | Filed Under Events, Planning

The following briefing statment was circulated to all of the Sligo County Councillors present at last nights meetings convened by Dorrins-Cummeen Conservation Group. Councillors present included Tony McLaughlin, Albert Higgins, Jim McGarry, Declan Bree and Imelda Henry.

Briefing Statement to Local Councillors (Oct. 4th 2007)

Introduction:
Sligo needs to develop its infrastructure in line with its designation as a Gateway City and its aspiration to achieve the objectives set out under that designation. Fundamental to the achievement of this objective is a coordinated and integrated approach to communication, transport, energy and industrial development. This presents a very exacting challenge to our leaders in public life. The current proposal to extend the runway at the airport in Strandhill falls short of this challenge on a number of fronts, but in particular in that it fails to provide the infrastructure that would allow the required level of opportunity to support future industrial expansion.

Issues:

  1. The proposal should be rejected by the planning authorities. The response of the consultants to the request for further information was to submit, not just additional information, but a substantially changed plan. Under planning laws, this should form the substance of a new planning application.
  2. The proposal provides only a stop-gap solution. Whereas the proposed extension would allow for the safe operation of the aircraft type currently in use, what if the regulations change, or the operator changes the aircraft type?
  3. The proposal does not allow for tourism expansion. If a tour operator wishes to bring tour groups to Sligo, this will only be economical if aircraft of 150 seat capacity and over can be used. This would require a runway of 2000 metres or more. Further destruction of this sensitive landscape would be required, to achieve this.
  4. The proposal represents unsustainable development environmentally, ecologically, commercially and economically. It is unsustainable to suggest sacrificing a precious beach of international ecological significance in favour of 259 metres of tarmac. It is unsustainable to suggest importing 286,000 cubic metres of quarried material as a foundation for 259 metres of tarmac. It is unsustainable to propose a plan which will eliminate a thriving export business in organic farmed clams, which provides valuable jobs and export revenue. It is unsustainable to propose spending such enormous quantities of public funds to such little effect, in an attempt to enable the airport to become commercially viable.
  5. The proposal is out of line with related infrastructural developments. The Inner Relief Road has provided a corridor, along which significant industrial development has already taken place, in line with development plans. The airport in Strandhill was never planned; it happened by accident, growing out of an aero club landing strip. Access to other transport infrastructure is a vitally important component in the development of air transport. Efforts to create a vibrant airport, capable of providing the scale of service required by a Gateway City, will always be hindered by the limitations outlined above.

In your position as an elected representative, we would request you to show vision and leadership and to represent our views to that effect in the council chamber.

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Meeting with County Councillors planned for Thursday, 4th October

Posted on October 3, 2007 | Filed Under Planning

Dorrins-Cummeen Conservation Group have invited Sligo County Councillors to attend a meeting in the Local National School on Thursday, 4th October at 8pm.

All are welcome.

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Plans for Sligo airport extension slammed

Posted on October 1, 2007 | Filed Under Media, Pictures, Planning

Six-One News on Friday 28th September had a piece from Eileen Magnier, North-West Correspondent, reporting on the disquiet of locals appalled by plans to expand the runway onto Dorrins Strand.

Click here to play video.

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