A company which wants to build an airport terminal and hotel close to Dublin Airport obtained a High Court order yesterday preventing a Bord Pleanala oral hearing into the plan from going ahead. The hearing, before a Bord Pleanala planning inspector, began on Monday, but the High Court order granted by Mrs Justice McGuinness stopped it continuing pending the outcome of a judicial review.
Huntstown Air Park Ltd applied to Fingal County Council in May 1996 for outline planning permission for a terminal, to include restaurants, retail and dutyfree areas, a 150-bedroom hotel, car-parks, aircraft parking apron and other facilities on lands adjoining Huntstown House, Cloghran, Co Dublin.
Aer Rianta, which runs Dublin Airport, objected. It said the capacity of the airport site to handle anticipated levels of traffic had been kept under review and the necessary infrastructure was in place to meet ongoing traffic demands and ensure orderly and planned development. Aer Rianta, in a letter dated January 1st, 1996, said the most recent studies were undertaken in 1995 by Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Sir William Halcrow and Partners, consultant engineers.
In September 1996, Huntstown Air Park Ltd claims, it wrote to Aer Rianta seeking copies of the studies and any information relating to the overall planning and development of the airport and airport facilities. Aer Rianta refused the application.
In May 1997 Fingal County Council refused outline planning permission, saying the proposed development would be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.
Huntstown Air Park Ltd appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. In June 1997 and again this month it wrote to An Bord Pleanala asking it to request the reports from Aer Rianta. Last week Bord Pleanala replied that the company could raise such matters at the hearing.