The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has suffered a setback as a result of An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant permission only for the first phase of a second main terminal at the airport and to approve the construction of a new runway subject to stringent conditions. Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, reports.
The appeals board issued its rulings yesterday evening, months after conducting oral hearings on the proposed developments which form key elements of the DAA's €2 billion master plan to double capacity at the congested airport.
Welcoming the decision, DAA chief executive Declan Collier said that, "subject to a review of the planning conditions", preliminary work on the permitted portion of Terminal 2 could begin "within weeks".
The second runway, however, is a longer-term prospect.
Ryanair claimed the DAA's "gold-plated" terminal would lead to "a doubling of the already high passenger charges". "Ryanair will now challenge this politically motivated decision in the High Court and we expect that it will be overturned."
In making its decision to approve the new runway, to be built north of the existing one and parallel to it, An Bord Pleanála rejected its planning inspector's recommendation that it should be refused mainly because of the "particularly problematic" issue of aircraft noise.
The board said it considered the €150 million runway "necessary to meet the foreseeable need for aviation travel at Dublin airport and to provide for the safe expansion of air traffic at the airport", in line with stated Government policy.
It cited the National Development Plan 2007-2011, the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 and Transport 21, all of which provide for the expansion of Dublin airport together with an upgraded public transport system and improved road network to serve it.
Regarding aircraft noise, the board ruled the new runway "shall not be used for take off or landing between 23.00 hours and 07.00 hours" except for reasons of safety, maintenance, exceptional air traffic conditions, adverse weather, technical faults or emergencies.
The 31 conditions laid down by the board also specified the average number of night-time aircraft movements should not exceed 65 flights "so as to protect residential amenity" of people living under the airport's flight paths, mainly in Portmarnock and St Margaret's.
It also ruled the DAA must submit a scheme for the voluntary noise insulation of schools that lie within the airport's noise contour zone, including St Margaret's School, Portmarnock Community School, St Nicholas of Myra, River Meade and Malahide Road schools.
A scheme for the voluntary noise insulation of houses in the affected areas must also be submitted to and agreed in writing by Fingal County Council. Houses subject to aircraft noise for 16 hours a day are to be eligible for voluntary purchase.
Dealing with Terminal 2, now estimated to cost €609 million, An Bord Pleanála said the second phase would be "premature" pending Fingal County Council's determination of a new road network to manage the traffic generated by the airport's development.
However, it approved the first phase to relieve "the current congestion and level of service" at the airport, as well as allowing the demolition of the 18th-century Corballis House, a protected structure.
The board said the combined capacity of Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 "shall not exceed 32 million passengers per annum" because of capacity constraints in road transportation. Many of the conditions for phase one of Terminal 2 relate to traffic - including road junction improvements in the vicinity, additional bus priority measures and a bus service for airport employees.
The airport operator must also pay Fingal's levies of €21 million for the new runway and €12.5 million for the second terminal. This will cover only a fraction of the cost of road improvements - the rest will have to be met by the exchequer.