Action taken over cut-price car park near airport

Enforcement proceedings are under way against a cut-price long-term car park set up without planning permission in the danger zone adjacent to Cork Airport.

The former car rental facility at Farmers Cross was expanded in the last year despite its owners being refused planning permission to retain a smaller lot seven years ago.

When planning was considered in 2005, Dublin Airport Authority’s general manager for safety and aviation standards, Alan Levey, said the car park was inside the safety zone for Cork’s second runway.

He said the development would result in people congregating in an area that was statistically more likely to be hit by an off-target plane.

“The location ... within the red [safety] area of the approach to Runway 25 at Cork Airport presents an unacceptable risk in the event of an aircraft incident as it is statistically evident that the incident is likely to be an undershoot or overshoot of the runway,” he said.

A handwritten note on the planning file, by a senior executive officer, said the development was “entirely unacceptable on both planning and air-safety grounds”.

The council originally began enforcement proceedings in 2004 against car hire units that set up on land. This resulted in the owners seeking permission to retain the development. This was rejected in 2005.

The owner of the site appealed the decision on the grounds that not all of the site was inside the safety exclusion area and that car rental businesses had been using the ground for as long as 10 years.

The appeal said the safety zone was designed to restrict tall developments that might interfere with safe landings and take-offs, and not a low-rise car park.

In Nov 2005, An Bord Pleanála turned down the appeal. Its ruling said it had to consider the necessity for safety corridors near runways.

“It is considered that the proposed development, taking into account its size and commercial nature gives rise to adverse risk to aviation, passenger and public safety at ground level,” it said.

However, despite this ruling it is understood that no enforcement action was considered for more than six years.

The current operator of the car park said he had only taken up a one-year lease, with an option to continue, late in 2011.

It offers long-term parking at a rate of €5 a day, which is €4.50 a day cheaper than the price charged for the airport’s own long-term facility.

The operator referred queries to his landlord. Efforts were made to contact the landlords and the registered owners, but they did not respond to calls.

Last year Cork County Council began enforcement proceedings with respect to this file.

However, it had difficulty tracking down the four people who jointly purchased the land in 2004.

Although the owners of the land are listed, letters to two of these people were returned undelivered.

There has been activity in relation to the enforcement file in the past fortnight.

A statement from Cork County Council said it could not comment on the status of its inquiries.

A spokesman said he could “confirm that Cork County Council received complaints about this operation in 2011”.

“The matter is under investigation, therefore, Cork County Council cannot comment further at this time”.