An appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the decision of Mayo County Council to refuse planning permission for a £500,000 cable car on Inishbiggle Island, off Achill, Co Mayo, was dramatically withdrawn yesterday. Inishbiggle Co-op, representing the island's 68 residents, withdrew the appeal after it accepted a proposal to submit a fresh application to the council for the cable-car project on an alternative site at Bullsmouth Pier, Achill.
The breakthrough followed the intervention of two local councillors, Senator Frank Chambers and Mr Pat Kilbane, chairman of Mayo County Council. Mr Pol O Foighil, manager of Inishbiggle Co-op, described "the solution or part-solution" as amicable. He was optimistic that the cable-car link would be established.
Earlier Mr O Foighil told the Bord Pleanala hearing that the island would be deserted unless it was provided with a cable-car link to the mainland.