Approval of new Dursey cable car and visitor centre may face a judicial review

A decision to approve a €10m visitors centre and a new cable car for Dursey Island in West Cork may face a judicial review after an independent environmental NGO was given permission by the High Court to bring an application against the decision.

An Bord Pleanála had granted conditional planning permission to Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland after they applied to replace the existing six-person cable car with a two-car desynchronised reversible cable car system capable of carrying 650 people an hour.

The permission includes an extensive glass-fronted visitor centre with a gift shop and 84-person cafe on the mainland with parking for 80 cars and buses. 

The 6km access road is to be improved with 10 passing bays.

However, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has been given permission by High Court Justice Niamh Hyland to bring an application against the decision on January 31.

FIE, An Taisce and BirdWatch Ireland all appealed against the grant of permission by Cork County Council in 2019. 

The groups called the proposal "undesirable on multiple grounds", citing the "ecological sensitivity of Dursey" as well as the narrow stretch of road linking it to the national network which they claim makes it "unsuitable for a proposal of this scale".

An inspector with An Bord Pleanála had recommended to refuse permission to the development, for several reasons, including that the scale of the development as proposed was deemed "excessive", however, the board ultimately decided to grant permission to the development with some conditions attached.