Residents alliance confirms stance on floodlights

Croke Park development: Croke Park is facing at least one strong objection to its plan to install stadium floodlights.

While stadium director Peter McKenna yesterday confirmed the GAA's intention to apply for planning permission to install floodlights, the Croke Park Residents Alliance confirmed their intention to object.

McKenna hopes to meet the residents alliance within the next 10 days, but according to Pat Gates, the alliance chairman, there has so far been no formal notification of either a meeting or Croke Park's plans to apply for the planning application for floodlights.

McKenna yesterday outlined the process they intend pursuing over the coming months. "Obviously full planning permission is necessary for a project of this size and nature," he said. "And that process can take anywhere between 10 weeks and a year, depending on the reaction to that planning application.

"We're currently accepting proposals from a number of suppliers, and once we're in a position to compare specifics such as costs and installation we'll make a decision on what supplier we'll go with.

"We will be formally lodging the application within the next six weeks. There are various parties to be consulted after that, obviously the residents, but also CIÉ, who have an interest here, and also Aer Rianta."

Gates was equally clear on the intentions of the Croke Park Residents Alliance: "As things stand, we are definitely opposed to any floodlights being installed in Croke Park," he said.

"For a start the GAA ensured us about two years ago that they wouldn't be pursuing any plans to do so. Obviously there are also gearing up for evening midweek matches, which we are against. So we're now talking about Croke Park being used all-year round. But we will be objecting on a number of grounds. Obviously there is the issue of a lot of light in a built up area, but also the increase in general disruption to the local community.

"We know soccer and rugby are coming to Croke Park, and there's nothing we can do about that. But we feel the GAA still haven't properly addressed our concerns, and instead continue to erode the quality of life for those living in the area. Until we see any improvements on that our attitude won't be changing. And I know support for our causes is growing.

"We also know the GAA are a powerful organisation, with a very powerful PR behind them. The fact is they keep making these agreements with us, and then breaking them. So right now our position is clear. We will be opposing floodlights until the GAA are serious about addressing our issues."

McKenna predicted such opposition, but suggested their concerns could be addressed in a constructive manner. "We'll be sitting down with them in about 10 days' time," he added, "and as with any planning application we'll explain the process in the best way we can and answer whatever questions and queries we can in advance of submitting the application.

"And we will consider all the concerns they have. We have modified designs in the past after that consultation process, most recently with the building of the Croke Park hotel. We took away the pedestrian bridge between the hotel and the stadium because of the concerns of the residents."

In the meantime, the GAA are actively examining the way forward in terms of installing floodlights. So far they've been looking at places like the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a model, although cost estimates of around €3 million are nothing but ballpark figures.

"Croke Park is certainly not the biggest playing surface in the world to be covered by floodlights," explained McKenna. "And many of the Australian cricket pitches would be the model. Most of those are also located in city environments. But floodlight technology has moved on a great deal in that the lighting is much direct, and a lot less of the light spills into the environment.

"It is a very specialist job, yes, but the people we're dealing with all have their fingertips on the trade. But it's actually impossible to say at this stage what the cost will be. The installation can be very expensive. But if everything does go smoothly with the planning application then the autumn International Rules Tests would be the ideal opportunity to put them to use. We've seen with the most recent Tests in Australia that floodlights do give an extra dimension to the games. There's something about floodlights that definitely adds to the atmosphere."

McKenna also played down the suggestion that an American football match would be played in the stadium within the next two years: "There's no definite developments on that. There may have been some initial discussions, but obviously American football matches have been played there before, and there's no problem playing them there again.

"But we're more concerned with widening the range of football and hurling matches that can be played in Croke Park in 2006. It's still the ambition of very intercounty player to play in Croke Park, and we're always trying to accommodate that."