Fingal County Council has rejected Dublin Airport Authority’s (daa) proposal for a new staff car park, which was intended to provide 950 additional parking spaces. The planned expansion, which would have extended the existing Holiday Blue long-term car park westwards, was aimed at addressing the current and projected needs of airport staff.
The daa argued that the new car park was essential to meet existing demand and would replace employee parking spaces displaced by recent airport developments. However, the Council’s decision reflects broader concerns beyond the immediate need for additional parking.
The Council outlined three main reasons for the denial. Firstly, they deemed the project premature due to ongoing infrastructure upgrades at Dublin Airport, including the external road network and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure along the R108. The Council emphasized that the car park proposal could not be evaluated in isolation from these essential upgrades.
Secondly, the proposed site falls under the “enterprise and employment” zoning in the Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029. The Council argued that the car park would contravene this zoning objective, which prioritizes intensive employment uses over parking facilities.
Thirdly, the Council criticized the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) submitted by daa, describing it as deficient. Key issues such as potential impacts on local wildlife, including bats and birds, and the broader climate implications were not sufficiently addressed, leaving the Council unable to determine the proposal’s environmental acceptability.
In response, a daa spokesperson expressed deep disappointment with the decision. “Dublin Airport operates 24/7 and needs adequate parking for its staff to function efficiently. The proposed car park was intended to replace spaces lost to airport development, not to add new ones,” the spokesperson stated.
The daa representative also highlighted the project’s potential benefits, including reducing daily traffic to the airport campus by facilitating a ‘park and ride’ system. They noted that the proposal had no objections from the National Transport Agency (NTA) or Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
“We are very disappointed by Fingal County Council’s refusal and are currently exploring alternative options,” the spokesperson concluded.
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