Clare County Council’s 32 Elected Members have unanimously backed a report by the Clare County Manager calling for the Local Authority to be represented on the new Steering Group tasked with determining the most effective organisational structure for a newly independent Shannon Airport.
Clare County Council also has written to Minister for Transport, Mr. Leo Varadkar, T.D., and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr. Richard Bruton, TD., requesting a meeting to discuss issues relating to Shannon’s separation from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
The Government announced last week that the newly independent airport will be brought together with the surrounding airport landbank to form a new entity with a commercial mandate in public ownership, as proposed by Clare County Council in its submission to consultants Booz & Company in late 2011.
At last evening’s May monthly meeting of Clare County Council, County Manager Tom Coughlan’s outlined “the critical requirement for Council involvement in decisions which will determine the future of Shannon”. He stressed that the formation and objectives of the Steering Group must be “expedited to minimise uncertainty and risk”.
Mr. Coughlan continued: “The terms of reference of the steering group must be concise and a clear time line must be set, within the current year, for the reporting of the Steering Group, for decision by government, for legislative change, and for the implementation of the Government decisions.”
“It is critically important that the Council be represented on this Steering Group as it seeks to develop an implementation strategy for the new body and a plan setting out how the entity will help to achieve strong regional development, while ensuring the highest standard of support for enterprises in the region,” the County Manager said.
Mr. Coughlan said the new focus on the future development of aviation services, the airport and the surrounding landbank, would facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the Clare County Development Plan 2012-17 and the Draft Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012 – 2018.
He continued: “Those Plans propose to facilitate an International Air Freight cargo hub and encourage collaboration with global logistics companies, to facilitate the development of a global logistics centre for humanitarian aid, and to support the development of other innovative initiatives that harness the potential of the airport.”
Mr. Coughlan added that Clare County Council, as the statutory planning authority for Shannon, has a key role to play in the future development of the airport and surrounding landbank.
Clare County Council also has written to Minister for Transport, Mr. Leo Varadkar, T.D., and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr. Richard Bruton, TD., requesting a meeting to discuss issues relating to Shannon’s separation from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
The Government announced last week that the newly independent airport will be brought together with the surrounding airport landbank to form a new entity with a commercial mandate in public ownership, as proposed by Clare County Council in its submission to consultants Booz & Company in late 2011.
At last evening’s May monthly meeting of Clare County Council, County Manager Tom Coughlan’s outlined “the critical requirement for Council involvement in decisions which will determine the future of Shannon”. He stressed that the formation and objectives of the Steering Group must be “expedited to minimise uncertainty and risk”.
Mr. Coughlan continued: “The terms of reference of the steering group must be concise and a clear time line must be set, within the current year, for the reporting of the Steering Group, for decision by government, for legislative change, and for the implementation of the Government decisions.”
“It is critically important that the Council be represented on this Steering Group as it seeks to develop an implementation strategy for the new body and a plan setting out how the entity will help to achieve strong regional development, while ensuring the highest standard of support for enterprises in the region,” the County Manager said.
Mr. Coughlan said the new focus on the future development of aviation services, the airport and the surrounding landbank, would facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the Clare County Development Plan 2012-17 and the Draft Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012 – 2018.
He continued: “Those Plans propose to facilitate an International Air Freight cargo hub and encourage collaboration with global logistics companies, to facilitate the development of a global logistics centre for humanitarian aid, and to support the development of other innovative initiatives that harness the potential of the airport.”
Mr. Coughlan added that Clare County Council, as the statutory planning authority for Shannon, has a key role to play in the future development of the airport and surrounding landbank.
