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Airport must to consider all alternatives

Posted on October 22, 2008 | Filed Under Press Releases 

On their second planning application to build an extension to the runway onto Dorrins strand in Sligo bay, Sligo Airport have been asked to furnish further information.

Dorrins and Cummeen strand conservation group (DCCG) are delighted that Sligo Planning Authority indicate in their request for further information that this application must be considered under Article 6(4) of the EU Habitats Directive. Under this article planning can only be granted if three major conditions are met.

The first condition that must be met is that it must be proved that there are no alternatives to the plan.

This means there must be no alternatives regardless of preference or cost. Moving to a green field site would be considered an alternative option under this article unless it was proved for instance that there is no suitable location available.

Our legal advice is that no alternative does not mean just that the Airport company have no alternatives. It means that there is no other way of fulfilling the peoples needs for adequate air transport in the region.

We in DCCG strongly contend that the airport have totally failed to deal with the issue of alternatives. Only one option, that of building on a public beach, has been adequately explored. Under article 6(4) of the EU Habitats Directive it must be proved that there are no alternatives as defined by the act.

Even if it is established, beyond all reasonable doubt, that there are no other alternative solutions the Airport have another major hurdle to overcome in the second requirement under Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive.

The second condition of the act requires that there must be “Imperative Reasons for overriding public interest“. In the guidelines imperative is defined as indispensible or fundamental.

Therefore the indispensible reasons for going ahead with this project must be established and the benefits, according to the act, must also be long term as the potential damage to the environment is long term.

We in DCCG have continually pointed out that Sligo airport have put forward no evidence or figures showing that the airport contributes in any significant way to the economy of the region nor have they produced a business plan which would indicate that they are likely to be viable into the future.

It is not enough for people to be assured on a day to day basis that there is no threat to Sligo airport. There must be a certainty that the airport is viable into the future.

Even people who don’t see how wrong and potentially disastrous it would be for the environment to build on this beach admit they don’t want to see up to ten million euros of tax payers money put into a hole in the ground for no economic benefit.

Under the EU Habitats directive article 6(4) imperative reasons for overriding public interest must be established.

The third condition states “Once the lack of suitable alternatives and the acceptance of imperative reasons of overriding public interest are fully ascertained and documented, all compensatory measures that are needed to ensure the protection of the overall coherence of the Natura 2000 network have to be taken”.

The airport have been given a maximum of six months to furnish the further information.

Ends

Reference:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/art6/guidance_art6_4_en.pdf

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