Apex Aviation has plan for Tipperary aircraft hub halted by appeal
Plans for an aircraft maintenance facility in Tipperary have been put on hold after a decision to grant planning permission was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Apex Aviation were granted planning permission by Tipperary County Council to build five new commercial buildings at the Lisboney Business Park, in Nenagh last month.
The plans include an aircraft engine maintenance and storage facility, each with office space, along with three detached warehouses, as well as a detached ESB substation, detached security hut, car and bike parking.
However, the proposed development has been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) on a number of grounds, including that the description of the development is “vague”, that there won’t be enough water for firefighting in the event of a fire, and that there will be a large volume of waste produced by construction and demolition on the site.
Michael Duffy, a chartered engineer from County Clare, lodged an appeal against the development, stating that the “description of the development is extremely vague”.
"The subject land is zoned as a Strategic Employment Area in the Local Area Plan (LAP). The provision of large scale empty warehousing is not conducive with … the LAP,” Mr Duffy noted.
The appellant states that a request for further information from the council required an outline of what buildings three, four and five would be used for, but that the applicant’s response leaves a lot to be desired in terms of information.
"The response stated that buildings three, four and five would ‘be offered to the aviation industry in particular companies who will compliment Apex’. This response goes nowhere near complying with the request for further information,” Mr Duffy said.
"This is not plan-led development, but speculative development which may never be appropriate for this location,” he added.
He also raises concerns about fire safety on the site.
"The Uisce Éireann Confirmation of Feasibility clearly states that firefighting water will not be provided.
"The planner makes an oblique comment … that a further planning application may be required to address the issue of firefighting water. This is an incredible decision,” he said.
The appeal also raises questions about what the developer plans to do with waste generated by construction and demolition, concerns about surface water run off and that a bat survey is needed on the site.
The planning appeals board will now consider the merits of the appeal before deciding whether to uphold the grant of planning permission, or overturn it.