Plans for a huge Ski centre shot down by the IDA

It was always a long shot, but I’m disappointed to see that the Snowtopia scheme has been rejected by An Bord Pleanala.

Per the Indo report.

MASSIVE plans for a €100m indoor ski resort in west Dublin, which could have created 1,000 permanent jobs, have been turned down by An Bord Pleanala.

Developers of the snow and ice leisure centre at Tyrellstown expressed “extreme disappointment” at the decision by the planning authority to uphold a refusal by Fingal County Council last February .

And a spokewoman for Twinlite Ltd said it was “very sad when the IDA (the Industrial Development Agency) objects to a project which would create 1,000 badly needed jobs”.

An Bord Pleanala refused planning permission for the development, arguing that it would conflict with local land zoning objectives, would draw custom from the nearby Blanchardstown cinema, and was poorly served by public transport.

And a pertinent comment by conor_mc on the propertypin

My God – we couldn’t have the little chisellers actually getting some exercise! No, no – cinema tickets, buckets of popcorn and even bigger buckets of fizzy drinks.

We need to make sure we don’t draw custom from our hospitals either, don’t you know!

This was a fully funded scheme that would have created permenant jobs in West Dublin as well as construction jobs while building it. The argument that the area is poorly served by public transport is a non sequitor, as the project would create the demand for public transport. The local residents, young people who have paid a fortune for property so poorly served in all respects, would have benefited too.

Mack

No bio, some books worth reading – The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves – Matt Ridley .

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance -Nouriel Roubini, Stephen Mihm