By Niamh Kirk
Planning permission for a ?430m ski and leisure park that was to be located north of Dundalk has been refused by an Bord Pleanala. Plans for ?Altitude? which was to be one of Europe?s largest artificial ski slopes were initially given the go-ahead by Louth County Council. But? Louth Environmental group appealed, and last week the proposed development was rejected.
As well as the synthetic ski-slopes catering for different skill levels, the leisure complex included a water leisure dome, indoor adventure centre with climbing walls, an interactive golf driving range and an
entertainment complex that included a cinema, bowling alley, cafes, restaurants as well as a 100 bed hotel and self catering lodges.
The board found that the project was not compatible with the Smart Travel Scheme which aims to see significant reduction in travel by car by 2020. It was suggested that the complex would have required many of the potential 1.15 million annual visitors developers claimed would visit the site would need to travel by car, which would lead to unsustainable car-dependant development.
The Board also referred to the location being on a coastal flood plain as a reason for rejection looked to the proximity of the site to Dundalk Bay which Dundalk?s authorities have earmarked to highlight as an ornithological site of international importance and to attract visitors to Dundalk as laid out in Dundalk and Environs Development Plan 2009 ? 2015.
Innovative Leisure Systems are behind the proposed complex whose directors are former local Fine Fail counsellor Pearse Hanrahan and businessman Sam Curran. In a statement Mr Curran said the rejection was ?deeply disappointing for me personally and for all the team after some five years research, design and above all, passion for this project.?
He described the project as a ?beacon of hope? for the region and thanked local investors who shared his vision but now ?face an uncertain future?. He also apologised to the people of Louth, Leinster, and the Island of Ireland for failing to secure an international hub for recreation and minority sports programmes.
It was expected that ?Altitude? would have created 1,200 full time jobs and 380 part time positions over seven years on the 32 acre site and would have been completed by 2016. He described the project as a ?political hot-potato? but thanked Dundalk and Louth County Council for granting the application in the first place.
Mr Curran said that the team have not given up on the vision they have for Ireland but that they ?got the message from the people who do not want change?. If the developers want to press on they will have to resubmit for planning.
Source: http://www.dundalkleader.com/2012/08/29/ski-resort-planning-rejected/
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