Ryanair’s plans for a new €50 million four-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport have beenki stalled by the company’s plan to erect a 2m-high berm for the storage of contaminated soils.
In placing the hangar application on hold, Clare County Council has written to the Ryanair applicant firm, Wonderlight Ltd, to say that it has “serious concerns” over the berm planned for a site southeast of the hangar.
The council has told the Ryanair firm that its concerns arise from the proposed berm’s proximity to sensitive environmental receptors including – indirectly – the Shannon estuary and the potential environmental effects arising from the construction and operational phases.
The council also cites the potential impact on human health and the long-term effects of the berm, which may sterilise development lands within the airport.
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In the letter, the council said that the proposed development of the aircraft hangar represents an appropriate form of development at this location in the context of the continued growth and development of Shannon Airport.
However, the council has asked the Ryanair firm to submit a comprehensive justification for the proposed berm, including an assessment of alternative soil management options and to demonstrate why the proposed approach represents the most appropriate solution.
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A planning report lodged on behalf of Wonderlight Ltd by Enviroplan Consulting said that, when undergoing site investigations, it was discovered that part of the site, which was used as a fire training ground, contained contaminated soil primarily from firefighting foam.
Enviroplan Consulting said that it was proposed to remove the contaminated soil and use it to construct a berm in a designated area to the southeast of the proposed hangar.
The material, according to the planning report, would “be deposited in this area and capped with an engineered barrier system to ensure that it stays in place”.
The report said, “the berm would be fenced off and secured and it is estimated that the maximum height of the berm will be two metres”.
The proposed new four-bay aircraft would be Ryanair’s largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland.
Ryanair operates a three-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport, which has a workforce of more than 200.
