Co Wexford councillor believes the proposed plan to build an airport in Arklow is ‘a harebrained idea’

THERE has been recent reports that an unidentified Middle Eastern consortium was in the process of acquiring up to 1,000 acres of land in south Wicklow with a view to building a new airport.

The early designs propose sustainable energy initiatives, hotels, a data centre, cafés and bars, retail outlets, industrial and commercial hubs, aircraft maintenance services, a conference centre, restaurants, an aviation academy, residential accommodation as well as an arena and entertainment centre.

Gorey Anthony Donohue believes building an airport in Arklow “is a harebrained idea” and when he first heard about it, he thought it was an April Fool’s joke.

Cllr Donohue said he had contacted five local auctioneers and found that none of them had been approached about purchasing large amounts of land in south Wicklow. He’d also spoken to David Quinn, one of the biggest property agents in Wexford and south Wicklow, and was told that he had not been approached by anybody.

“Firstly, as long as I have anything to do with it, there won’t be an airport built in Arklow because it puts north Wexford into a flight route. You would have aircrafts coming in over Castletown and Tara Hill. Secondly, it’s just not needed because we have a fully serviced airport, 50 minutes up the road. Waterford airport are putting in a big investment now to extend their runway.”

“It doesn’t make sense to me. You’d have aircrafts taking off from 6a.m. until midnight. I’m sure if the residents of St Margaret’s in Dublin had a choice they’d get away from Dublin Airport as well. There’s no need for it,” said Cllr Donohue.

Both the Irish Aviation Authority and Wicklow County Council would have to approve of the plans before they went ahead.