The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is set to spend almost €100,000 an acre, for a seven-acre plot of land without any intention of developing it, because the site lies adjacent to the authority's new Air Traffic Centre in Shannon.
The same site, which is located between the new control centre and the old N19 Shannon Road at Ballycasey, Co Clare, was almost sold four years ago to another party for only a fifth of the price which the IAA will now pay for it. The authority has been in negotiations with Clare County Council for several months and last night the council finally agreed to sell the land to the IAA.
An IAA spokeswoman confirmed it has no plans to develop the site and is purchasing it to ensure that a business incompatible with its operations at Ballycasey would not set up there.
It is also thought that the IAA wants to keep the area "sterile" for security reasons. Security at the facility is already extremely tight with a 12-foot high fence surrounding the main building and closed circuit television cameras clearly visible around the facility.
"Security is important at all our facilities and at Shannon it is no more or less important than at any other. It is in our own best interest to own this land. We would not like to see an unsuitable business setting up next to us, a business which might not be compatible with our own operation," the spokeswoman said.
Four years ago, objections from several councillors about whether the council was getting value for money stopped another proposed sale of the land going through. The original sale, had it gone ahead, would only have netted the council €127,000.
Members of the council last night ratified the proposed sale to the IAA. Cllr Patricia McCarthy, who opposed the original sale, proposed the motion to go ahead with the sale at last nights meeting. It was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Joe Arkins.
The IAA confirmed that "when we originally bought the land, on which our new centre is located, it was our understanding the land on which we have now put an offer, would be kept sterile and we want to continue with this situation."