- Clare County Council has stalled Ryanair’s plans for a €50m four-bay maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport
- The Council has serious concerns over a two metre high berm for storage of contaminated soils
- The Council cited potential environmental effects and impact on human health
- The new hangar will be Ryanair’s largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland
- The project includes a new Ryanair Engineering Academy with 80 apprenticeship roles
Clare County Council has stalled Ryanair’s plans for a new €50m four-bay aircraft maintenance hangar for Shannon Airport due to the company’s plan to erect a two metre high berm for the storage of contaminated soils. In placing the hangar application on hold, the Council has written to the Ryanair applicant firm, Wonderlight Ltd, to state that it has serious concerns over the berm planned for a site south-east of the hangar.
The Council stated that its serious concerns arise from the proposed berm’s proximity to sensitive environmental receptors including indirectly the Shannon estuary and the potential environmental effects arising from the construction and operational phases. The Council also cited the potential impact on human health and the long term effects of the berm which may sterilise development lands within the airport.
The Council stated that the proposed development of the aircraft hangar represents an appropriate form of development at this location in the context of the continued growth and development of Shannon airport. However, the Council has asked the Ryanair firm to submit a comprehensive justification for the proposed berm including an assessment of alternative soil management options.
In a planning report lodged on behalf of Wonderlight Ltd by Enviroplan Consulting, it states that when undergoing site investigations, it was discovered that part of the site which was used as a fire training ground contained contaminated soil primarily from fire fighting foam. Enviroplan Consulting stated that it is proposed to remove this contaminated soil and use it to construct a berm in a designated area to the southeast of the proposed hangar. The material will be deposited in this area and capped with an engineered barrier system to ensure that it stays in place.
The new four-bay aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul hangar at Shannon Airport will be Ryanair’s largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland. Ryanair currently operates a three-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport, which has a workforce of over 200. The new project will also include a new Ryanair Engineering Academy, which will see the creation of 80 new apprenticeship roles and support the training of over 400 additional aircraft mechanics between 2027 and 2031.
