Tubber airport plans to be lodged before end of year

Plans for the Midlands Airport in the Tubber/Horseleap are still firmly on the agenda with hopes a planning application for the development can be lodged by the end of the year, it emerged this week. And the fact that planning permission has been granted for a major Euro-China trade hub in Athlone this week has given the plan a significant boost, the man behind the airport project has said. Patrick Little said the fact that the international trade hub had been granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála was a boost to the plans for airport as it would bring an additional 35,000 passengers through the airport every week. "It is extremely welcome. It makes the two projects together a welcome addition to the region," Mr Little told the Offaly Independent. He said he hoped to be in a position to submit a planning application at the end of this year, which will be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála and once the application has been submitted it will take approximately 23 weeks for the board to make a decision. Pointing out that one of the biggest arguments An Taisce had against the international trade hub at Creggan was that there would be about 100 buses travelling between Athlone and Dublin Airport every day, he said if they could fly into the Midlands Airport it would only take about seven minutes to travel down the motorway. Mr Little stressed that the airport stands up on its own two feet without the trade hub as the midlands has the biggest population catchment in the country, but said the trade hub would bring additional passengers to the airport. "This gives a little more confidence to people wishing to locate in the midlands," he said. "I can identify 1.5m people (per year) coming here because of that being located here so we're not taking business from Dublin or Shannon. The argument people will make is that we're taking passengers from Dublin and Shannon, but the Chinese hub supports the notion that it can bring in additional passengers." Mr Little confirmed that he had investors for the project and hoped to make the application to An Bord Pleanála at the end of the year. He said at present he was preparing a number of strategic documents for the planning application and planned to hold a number of public consultation events prior to the application being submitted. "We will fully engage with the public. It is a project that will benefit the entire region," said Mr Little. He said it was important to ensure the application documentation was 100% so that the planning board could deal with it efficiently. "It's a case of spending the time now so that the process can be dealt with efficiently," he said. Mr Little said he was glad to see that An Bord Pleanála had dealt with the China hub decision in a very efficient way. "The message sent out today is not just that that plan got planning, it's that Ireland is capable of dealing with applications of that scale and it will give confidence to the likes of those Chinese business people who are investing in this country," he said. Mr Little added that the airport would be huge for the economy in the midlands and would have significant spin offs, such as a shuttle bus or even a rail system between the three gateway towns, dubbed the MAX (Midlands Area Xpress). The Euro-China trade hub for Athlone has received a broad welcome this week, with local Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen saying it would create thousands of jobs for the entire Midlands region and will be an enormous boost for the area. "The €175 million development is now one step closer to becoming a reality, providing the massive jobs boost that the Midlands region needs," said Deputy Cowen. "It is estimated that 1,200 jobs will be created during the construction phase and 1,500 jobs when the development is completed. But it is not just about the direct job creation, it is also about creating a strong reputation as a successful international trading hub. This will lead to further foreign direct investment and further job creation in the Midlands into the future." Deputy Cowen said it was crucial that the Government now took a strong interest in this development so that it can progress quickly. "The project had reached an advanced stage under the previous Government, which played an active role in engaging with the promoters, the investors and the authorities to secure its future. However, it has been stalled now for over a year. While it is a great relief that planning permission has now been granted, the development will need active political support to make it a reality."