Third terminal in new plan for Dublin airport

Proposals for a third terminal at Dublin airport are included in a new plan for its future development which is to be released to the public by Fingal County Council this week.

The draft Dublin airport masterplan sets the planning parameters for a 1,084 hectare site which includes all current airport facilities and any possible future developments.

The document details already planned infrastructure up to 2011, such as the new runway and a second terminal building, both due to begin operations in 2009. However it also makes provision for a third terminal to accommodate a growth in passenger numbers from the current 18.5 million a year to almost 40 million in 2025.

The plan, which is likely to be opened to public consultation from tomorrow, also sets out the road improvements necessary for current airport needs and future expansion, including new access points, and stresses the vital importance of the proposed Metro. The Metro will be particularly crucial for any commercial development including the two new hotels, one budget and one up-market, which are allowed for under the masterplan.

Fingal County Council describes the masterplan as its "principal development control tool" for the airport. Once the plan is adopted, following the public consultation period, any future planning applications for runways, terminals, aircraft facilities, transport and parking facilities, commercial and industrial developments must comply with the plan.

Initial development centres on the east side of the site, referred to in the plan as the "Eastern Campus". This campus includes the current terminal and associated facilities including car parks and hotels. It is also the site for the second runway, the planning application for which will be determined by the council next week, and the planned second terminal.

The second terminal, to be located to the south of the existing terminal, should increase the passenger capacity to 30 million annually. However, the report states that this only caters for short term requirements and a third western terminal will be necessary for future demands.

The need for a third terminal is likely to kick in after 2016, with annual passenger numbers of up to 38 million expected in 2025.

Land has been set aside to the west of the current terminal for a potential third terminal which would form part of a "Western Campus". The western campus will allow "maximum development potential" of the dual runway system.

This campus would "seek to mirror" the eastern developments with provision for commercial developments. The western campus would also cater for the development of cargo facilities and would have its own dedicated entrance from an upgraded N2.

The N2 is just one of the roads requiring improvement to allow the expansion of the airport to go ahead. The "Airport Box", which includes Collinstown Lane, the Northern Parallel Road, Forrest Little Road and St Margaret's Road will be upgraded to dual-carriageways, as will the Blanchardstown/ Baldoyle airport road.

Improved public transport is crucial to the development of the airport. While more buses are necessary, the plan warns that any future commercial development zone will only be allowed if the Metro is developed.