Plans by Manna Drones to retain a drone delivery hub for Coolmine Industrial Estate in Dublin 15 are facing local opposition.
More than 90 submissions – with only a handful in favour of theretention application – have been lodged with Fingal County Council.
In one objection by Dublin 15 resident, Dr James Higgins, he states that the assertion by Manna that drones are “quieter than cars” was misleading as “cars do not routinely pass over people’s roofs at all hours”.
Dr Higgins of Cherry Drive, Dublin 15 told the council that “since its operation began, residents in the Dublin 15 area, including myself, have experienced persistent and intrusive noise from drones frequently flying over our homes”.
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Urging the council to refuse planning permission, he said “we must ask ourselves if we truly want our skies to become as congested and noisy as our roads merely for the convenience of coffee and fast-food deliveries”.
The Delwood housing estate in Dublin 15 has 260 houses where a survey by the Delwood Residents Association resulted in a large majority voting against any expansion of drones operating in the area.
A small number of local residents have come out in favour of the planned retention of the delivery hub.
One of those was Peter Maxwell of Portersgate Drive, Dublin 15 who stated that “any service that helps to reduce the traffic load is of benefit to the area and community in general. The volume of these drones is no higher than most regular traffic and is of minimal disturbance and is quieter than the volume of some delivery driver’s cars”.
Fingal council recently refused planning retention for a separate Manna delivery hub for Junction 6 Castleknock, River Road, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Dublin 15
According to a spokesman for Manna Drones, since the Junction 6 decision, local representatives have received “over 1,000 supportive emails from households that use Manna in Dublin 15 on a regular basis”.
He added that since February 2024, Manna had completed 52,000 deliveries in the area and “directly employs 50 people who live in Dublin 15” .
He also said “misleading claims about the service” had been circulated locally in a bid to obstruct the hub.
