Consultants hit out at council over daa car park refusal
Planning consultants for Dublin airport operator, daa have hit out at Fingal County Council over its refusal to approve plans for a 950 space staff car park for the airport.
In a hard hitting appeal to An Bord Pleanála contesting the refusal, consultants for daa, AtkinsRealis, state that it "is deeply frustrating to have to appeal, yet again, another decision by the planning authority that flies in the face of significant legislative and policy support at national, regional and local level to safeguard the operational needs of Dublin Airport".
The planning refusal last month follows the council refusing planning permission for an expanded and revamped Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility last year at the airport.
In the comprehensive 34-page appeal against the staff-car-park refusal, Technical Director for Environment/Infrastructure at AtkinsRealis, Deirdre Larkin has told the appeals board that its client, daa "is hugely disappointed by the decision of Fingal Co Council to take just eight weeks to refuse planning permission for this vital transport infrastructure".
Ms Larkin states that the purpose of the development "is to provide safe, dedicated, high quality parking facilities for existing airport staff, particularly those working out of hours or late nights".
AtkinsRealis contend that the council decision fails to accept the clearly identified quantum of staff parking that is required for an airport of 32m passengers per annum.
Ms Larkin points out that the supply of staff car-parking at Dublin Airport has remained constant since the T2 permission, notwithstanding strong passenger growth since within the permitted 32m passengers a year cap.
The appeal also states that the proposed development does not result in a material increase of existing staff car-parking.
Ms Larkin contends that the decision also fails to accept that the proposed development seeks to re-provide staff parking spaces lost to other developments in the airport campus.
The appeal claims that instead, the council planning report suggests that there is an over provision of car-parking spaces at Dublin Airport, even though the proposed car parking spaces cited in the report do not have planning permission.
Ms Larkin states that the contention in the council report that there is an over-provision is incorrect.
Ms Larkin further contends that the proposed development is required to meet current operational needs and cannot await, nor is it dependent on the outcome of the proposed future growth in passenger capacity that forms the basis of the current Infrastructure Application (IA) now before the council
Ms Larkin argues that "it is entirely inappropriate to require that the proposed development be considered as part of the IA".
In its rejection of the proposal, the Council refused planning permission on three grounds including that the planned car park proposed would be premature pending the determination on the planning application concerning the on-going planned infrastructure upgrade works to Dublin airport lands.
- report Gordon Deegan
