Local protest fails to stop Ryder Cup car park

A MASSIVE temporary car park which will service people travelling to and from the Ryder Cup has been given planning permission despite objections from locals who fear it will lead to increased traffic volumes and who argue a more suitable site might have been found.

Ryder Cup Ltd had applied to construct a temporary park and ride facility at the Weston Aerodrome at Lucan, Co Dublin.

Parking would be provided for 5,200 cars on three grassed areas, two of which flank the south-eastern side of the runway at the aerodrome and the third in a paddock to the south of Westonpark House.

According to a planning application submitted to the local authority, the facility would accommodate 20,000 spectators and 60 buses would be used to ferry spectators between the site and the K Club at Straffan.

Locals objected that the development would lead to substantial increases in traffic volumes on roads in the area which they claimed was unsuitable for such volumes due to the lack of alignment and lack of footpaths and was therefore a risk for accidents.

They also claimed that the application was made very close to the time of the Ryder Cup not allowing enough time for a traffic management and pedestrian plans to be made available to the public.

Finally, they said a more suitable site for the park and ride would have been somewhere like Baldonnell Aerodrome where there is a lower population density better equipped to cope with the traffic levels.

The local authority granted permission for the development with 19 conditions, but that decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

The residents said the planning authority’s decision allowed too much time for the reinstatement of the site arguing that the applicants, Ryder Cup Ltd, would be outside the jurisdiction and could not be held responsible for the works.

The board, however, said the development would facilitate the staging of a significant event and granted permission with six conditions.