This article is from page 18 of the 2014-04-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
A NEW commercial training centre could be on the way for Shannon as plans for the facility have been with an Bord Pleanála.
The Shannon Airport Authority lodged the proposal with the planning authority last week, which would see an existing boiler house at Shannon converted into the a new commercial training centre.
Little information about the nature of the proposed development is available except that the application was made under the Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) system at an Bord Pleanála, which is normally reserved for very large projects which would have a regional impact. How- ever, under current planning legislation, every development at the airport is required to go through the SID process – even if the development is small and will be referred to planner at Clare County Council.
Clare County Council is currently working to remove the planning law, which requires all building projects at Shannon Airport to be first lodged with an Bord Pleanála but it is currently still required in order to gain planning.
This news comes just over a week after Shannon Development an nounced plans to clear a massive 10,000 square metre site in the Shannon Free Zone for an unknown future development.
The agency applied to Clare County Council last month for permission to clear the site, which is located at Block C in the Shannon Free Zone.
In the planning file lodged with the local authority, Shannon Development has requested permission to clear a number of existing light industrial and office buildings in Block C, with a total cleared space of more than 8,050 square metres.
There is at present no indication that a particular development has been earmarked for the site, but a spokesperson from Shannon Development said that the area has been earmarked for “redevelopment”.
“The work we are carrying out at Shannon Free Zone is part of our strategy to position this area of the Zone for redevelopment with a view to developing this site in the future,” said the spokesperson.