An Bord Pleanála Inspector’s Report An Bord Pleanala Reference PL 21.231918 DEVELOPMENT: Extension to coast guard hanger, new hangar for small aircraft, extension to existing apron, new porta cabins and site works at Sligo Airport, Killas Praybrone, Strandhill. Co. Sligo PLANNING APPLICATION Planning Authority: Sligo County Council Planning Authority Reg. No: 08/712 Applicant: Sligo North West Airport Company Ltd Application Type: Permission Planning Authority Decision: To Grant Permission APPEAL Appellants: Dorrins & Cummeen Strand Conservation Group An Tasice Type of Appeal: Third Party Observers: Usher Aviation Ireland Ltd Sligo Aero Club Staff of Sligo Airport CHC Ireland Ltd Date of Inspection: February 13 th , 2009 Inspector: Breda Gannon Appendix 1: Annotated Photographs Site Plan/Extracts from Development Plan _____________________________________________________________________ PL21.231918 An Bord Pleanála Page 1 of 16 INTRODUCTION This is a Third Party appeal against the decision by Sligo County Council to grant permission for the development. SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The site is located at Sligo Airport on the western extremity of the Coolera Peninsula. The airport, which is accessed via the R 277 lies to the north of Strandhill and c 8 km west of Sligo city. It comprises one runway strip that extends along an east-west axis adjacent to the northern site boundary. To the south of the runway there are a number of ancillary operational buildings including the terminal building, existing hangars, fuel shed and fire station. The R 277 also provides access to Sligo Airport Business Park located to the south of the airport complex. The terrain surrounding the airport is generally flat and exposed and is dominated by grassland vegetation with isolated forestry plantations to the north east and south west. Dorrins Strand and Cummeen Strand/Drumcliff Bay and lie to the north/ north east of the site and Sligo Bay lies to the west. PLANNING APPLICATION The development is described as follows in the public notices submitted with the application: - ‘An extension to the existing coast guard (CHC Ireland LTD) hangar (504.31 m2), construct new hangar for small aircraft (1,112m2), an extension to existing apron and install new porta cabins and all associated site works at Sligo Airport’. The development will take place to the west and southwest of the existing terminal building. The new hangar and the hangar extension will be constructed to the east and north of the existing hangar facilities, will have a ridge height of 12.9m and will be finished in Kinspan cladding to match existing structures. The apron extension (4091 m2) will be accommodated to the east of the site. PLANNING HISTORY 1. 01/1056 – Permission granted for a steel portaframed hangar to accommodate aircraft on the airport site. PLANNING AUTHORITY REPORTS The Planning Officer’s report of 28/10/08 concludes that the proposed development is consistent with the provisions of both the Standhill LAP and the Sligo County Development Plan. The subject site is not subject to any sensitivity designations and is not located within any area, which is designated for environmental or archaeological protection. The site is located in close proximity to and overlaps slightly with a number of adjoining environmental designations, however, it is considered that the proposed development will have no negative impact on these designations. The application site overlaps with the Cummeen Strand/ Drumcliff Bay (Sligo Bay) p NHA and the _____________________________________________________________________ PL21.231918 An Bord Pleanála Page 2 of 16 Cummeen Strand/ Drumcliff Bay (Sligo Bay) c SAC. The site comprises part of an existing hardstand area and disturbed ground and in this context the proposed development will have no impact on the existing habitat. The design and layout of the development is considered acceptable and will have no negative impact on visual or residential amenity at this location. It will cluster with the existing airport hangar buildings and the industrial park to the south. Issues of surface water disposal, effluent disposal and access have been adequately addressed as witnessed by the positive reports. The Development Planning Unit report of 23/9/08 raised no objection to the development. It was noted that the proposed development adjoins existing hangars and development that is part of the curtilage of the airport. The proposed development is in keeping with the structures currently in place and is in line with the objectives of the LAP. It was noted that there have been two previous permissions on the site for the construction of a steel portaframed hangar to accommodate aircraft within the boundary of the airport (01/1054) and for the construction of a hangar damaged by storm (99/78). The Water Services report of 20/10/08 stated that further information was required in relation to surface water. It was later confirmed in a report dated 30/10/08 that this could be addressed by way of condition. The Environment Report of 30/9/07 and the Area Engineer’s report of 23/9/08 raised no objection to the development. PRESCRIBED BODIES The Development Applications Unit of the DoEHLG in their report of 7/10/08 requested that archaeological monitoring of ground works be carried out. An Taisce in their report of 28/10/08 stated that as the development would facilitate additional airport capacity and therefore runway use and land based traffic generation, an EIS was required. The proposal has been lodged concurrently with an application with an EIS for a runway extension (08/632) and an application without an EIS for carparking (08/591). The proposal with car parking constitutes more piecemeal development without the integrated assessment required under the EIA Directive. PLANNING AUTHORITY’S DECISION The planning authority decided to grant permission for the development subject to 7 conditions:- Condition No 1 – Development to be carried out in accordance with plans and particulars submitted on September 9 th , 2008. Condition No 2 – Finished floor level not to exceed 4.51 m Condition No 3 – External finishes of the buildings to consist of ‘Kingspan’ cladding or similar, to details to be agreed. Condition No 4 – Archaeological monitoring. _____________________________________________________________________ PL21.231918 An Bord Pleanála Page 3 of 16 Condition No 5 – Service lines and cables to be placed underground . Condition No 6– Surface water requirements. Calculations of both surface hydraulic designs to be provided and agreed with the planning authority prior to the commencement of the development. Condition No 7 – Longitudinal sections through proposed surface water drainage system to be submitted for agreement prior to commencement of the development. APPEAL SUBMISSIONS 3rd PARTY APPEAL An Taisce The application is one of a number of individual planning applications which has been lodged without environmental impact assessment and which individually and cumulatively accommodate airport expansion. Planning application 08/632 is an application for a runway extension which is a major development with large scale and highly problematic impact to extend the runway into the SAC/SPA designated area of Sligo Bay and will significantly increase airport capacity. Planning Ref 08/591 is for car parking and has been lodged without EIA. The manner in which this application and the application for the car park have been separated from the runway extension application is both inexplicable and unjustified. It involves project splitting as defined by the European Court of Justice i.e. the lodging of applications which are sub threshold under the EIA Directive but which cumulatively have an environmental impact. The applications, individually and cumulatively will expand the capacity of the airport both in terms of the number of planes that will use the facility and in relation to car parking, would increase the land-based access capacity. The development should be subject to EIA and should be the subject of a single integrated planning application. The application should be invalidated and the applicant directed to submit a revised application to include all development proposed for the airport which would involve an increase in a capacity, including aircraft hangar, apron capacity and land-based and transport capacity. Consideration of any separate applications without EIA for individual elements of the airport expansion is premature pending the resolution of the airport runway extension. Even if the runway extension were to be granted, it will inevitable face legal challenge at EU level, both under the EIA directive and Article 6 of the Habitats Directive. The proposal is premature pending resolution of the future of Sligo airport. There are an excessive number of regional airports, which is no longer sustainable either environmentally in terms of the generation of emissions, and economically. Regional airport development and the provision of unsustainable subsidised services between regional airports and Dublin subject to PSO obligation are adding unsustainably to aviation emissions. Given the lack of strategic need for aviation expansion on the scale proposed in Sligo and its adverse environmental impact, it is likely that the runway extension will be refused. It is further likely that the PSO subsidy will be withdrawn, resulting in its closure as an commercial airport. This would not prevent the continued operation of the airport by the Coastguard or for private