DAA, the operator of Dublin Airport, has faced another setback in its planning application to increase the Dublin Airport passenger capacity from 32 million to 40 million annually. The Fingal County Council extended the response deadline to November 14th to allow DAA to elaborate more on the large volume of additional information needed, as requested by the council in February.
In February, the council’s planners had requested the provision of further specifics under 85 categories, leaving the airport operator with a six-month deadline to respond. The deadline, initially set for August 15th, has been extended by three months by the council, providing DAA with additional time to respond.
The extension request was made by Aiden O’Neill from Coakley O’Neill Town Planning, the planning consultant of the airport operator, owing to the scale, range and intricacy of the request for further details. Mr O’Neill confirmed that the additional time was necessary in order to craft a detailed response to the additional information demanded by council.
A representative for DAA emphasised that the enormous amount of necessary information is a significant factor, thus causing the request for more time to present complete and precise responses. They added that their commitment to address all requisitions fully is aimed at making the process efficient.
He also commented on the eventual decision’s expected timing, stating that the result is at the discretion of both Fingal County Council and the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA). He warned that the timeline might be extended if the decision is subjected to an appeal at An Bord Pleanála.
The planning board has yet to deliver a verdict on DAA’s application to alter the North Runway’s operational conditions, submitted in December 2020. Despite being submitted over three years and eight months ago, the application is still under consideration by the appeals panel.
The representative proclaimed, “We’ve observed how long it took to reach an ultimate verdict on the North Runway Relevant Action, and given the project’s strategic significance, we’re hopeful that the recent resourcing of An Bord Pleanála will aid in achieving a swift decision.”
Furthermore, the representative noted that the airport management is in the process of preparing a temporary application to boost the passenger cap from 32 million to an estimated 36 million per annum. “Should we surmise this could speed up the elimination of the cap, this action will be taken in order to safeguard employment and preserve connectivity,” he added.