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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One Response to “Briefing Statement Provided to Sligo County Councillors on Sligo Airport Extension plans”

  1. Felix McElhone on November 28th, 2007 11:37 pm

    Looking at google earth – the altitude for sligo airport is 11 ft – if this is accurate do any of the plans submitted by the airport take increased tide levels into account and if not surely any plans as such are “short term”
    See also a report in todays (Nov 28)irish times p2 on significant flooding events in ennis

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