Michael Duffy
PLANS to locate a decentralised Government office in the vicinity of Knock Airport appear to lie in tatters this week, after An Bord Pleanála recommended siting the operation in one of Mayo’s two regional hub towns – Ballina or Castlebar – instead.
The Board’s Senior Planning Inspector, Mr Paul Caprani, said in his 18-page report, which recommended refusal for the offices, that the plan to locate the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs beside Knock Airport is in direct conflict with stated objectives in the Mayo County Development Plan, which seek to accommodate and support decentralisation within existing towns and villages in the area.
“The location of the proposed office building at Knock Airport does not comply with this unambiguous objective set out in the Development Plan,” stated Mr Caprani.
However, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuív – who announced with great delight in 2003 that Knock Airport was the chosen site for the decentralisation of his department – is adamant that the project can still go ahead even if changes have to be made to the current Mayo Development Plan, which is undergoing a redrafting process at this time, initiated by the Fine Gael members of Mayo County Council.
“We will have to look at this in detail and Mr Caprani seems to state that the development is contrary to the current Mayo Development Plan. I think the councillors and manager in Mayo County Council will be surprised at that, so we will have to look at that issue and if necessary get the county development plan amended. I certainly understood that Mayo County Council, who granted permission for the development in the first place, wanted to develop business parks at the airport. There are a lot things to talk about. The Government made a decision and certainly all over the world airports have been used as magnets for development. I don’t see why Knock should be any different,” said Minister Ó Cuív.
County Secretary, Mr John Condon, refused to comment on the specifics of the report when contacted by The Mayo News on Monday, stating that the Council were studying Mr Caprani’s report in detail and would be prepared to comment later in the week.
In relation to the redrafting of the current development plan, Mr Condon said the public submissions’ period finishes this Thursday, June 21.
“After this we will be compiling a report on all the submissions received which will be put before the councillors at a monthly meeting and then they will be allowed to suggest amendments to the current plan for adoption,” said Mr Condon.
The application for planning permission ended up with An Bord Pleanála after an objection was lodged by Mr Peter Sweetman and associates, who claimed that the proposed office block is located more than five miles from the nearest residential development, necessitating the use of a private car by 186 projected employees.
The appeal also states that Regional Planning Guidelines zone lands near Knock Airport as industrial/commercial park, and therefore government offices are not suitable for such a park.
The JSL Group, who were the applicants on behalf of the Office of Public Works, maintained that in the long term the office would not be located in an isolated area, but one which will be well-served by public transport. They claimed the decentralisation will attract and encourage many other businesses and projects to relocate at Knock Airport in the future.
However, Mr Caprani said he would generally agree with the conclusions of the appellants, who argue that the location of the proposed offices in the vicinity of Ireland West Airport Knock is inappropriate and unsustainable, and contrary to national and local development strategy.
Mr Caprani even went as far as to suggest that the benefits of decentralisation would be wasted if located beside the airport and would work a lot better if located in Castlebar or Ballina.
“The overall strategic aims set out for the west region seeks to support the additional potential of both Castlebar and Ballina in County Mayo in promoting economic activity, which will be at the heart of extending balanced regional development within the west region.
“Both Ballina and Castlebar are designated as hubs in the National Spatial Strategy and the provision of such significant and prestigious office accommodation would assist in developing the status of the above towns, in order to realise the objective of balanced regional growth as set out in the strategy.
“Were the offices located in larger towns, including the designated hubs of Castlebar and Ballina, where a larger array of services and community facilities exist, it is likely that a higher proportion of civil servants would reside in close proximity to the offices,” said Mr Caprani.
