Lights, camera, no action as objector puts brakes on movie studio

A SOLE objector has halted – for now – plans by film producer and tax consultant Kieran Corrigan for movie and television studios at Ashbourne, Co Meath.

Last month, Mr Corrigan’s FPS Film Production Solutions secured planning permission from Meath County Council for the studio complex that is to include post-production facilities, animation and CGI facilities.

Merlin Films, one of Mr Corrigan’s other companies, whose other director is John Boorman, has produced a number of movies filmed in Ireland, including ‘The General’, ‘This is My Father’ and ‘The Tiger’s Tail’. The overall development would span about 11,300m of buildings with scope for outdoor sets.

However, local man John Conroy has appealed the planning permission to An Bord Pleanála, throwing a question mark over the entire project.

Mr Conroy said that none of the concerns he raised with the County Council have been addressed. He had told the council not to get blinded by the idea of having a movie studio in the county, and refuse planning permission.

Mr Conroy said granting permission without properly controlling the current activities of the business park at Ashbourne will “force me and my family to leave our home, which will be further devalued by the additional traffic and noise generated by the development”.

However, the Council gave the project the go-ahead after concluding that the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or lead to a devaluation of adjacent property, and would not lead to a creation of a traffic hazard.