An Taisce representatives have told an oral planning appeals hearing, that the proposed €460m ‘Tipperary Venue‘ is ” ill-conceived and warrants comprehensive refusal.”
Model of proposed Two-Mile-Borris Casino
An oral hearing, is presently taking both written and oral submissions in support of and against, a decision by Tipperary County Council to grant such planning permission.
The Tipperary Venue will include a racecourse, a 500-room hotel, a golf course, a greyhound track, a casino, a 15,000-seater entertainment venue, and parking for 6,000 cars. Other features include a sprint track, an all-weather floodlit track, an equestrian centre, retail outlets, helicopter facilities and a church. Thurles, it would appear is about to move to Two-Mile- Morris.
Developers estimated the proposed project will create immediately 1,000 construction jobs, while it is being built, and another 2,000 jobs are predicted, when the venture is fully complete.
An Taisce, however, told the hearing, which opened in the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Co Tipperary, today, that it had concerns about what it depicted as ‘this overwhelming‘ development. The An Taisce spokesperson estimated that the development would cost up to €30m in increased fuel costs and resulting carbon emissions, because of its remote location. It also warned that this venture would mean the redirection of over 750million litres of river waters from nearby, to facilitate the construction, and that this would have ecological implications for indigenous wild life habitats. An Taisce stated, it would also have implications for the viable futures of both Thurles, Limerick and Tipperary racecourses and the newly established and refurbished greyhound tracks in both Limerick and Thurles.
Some local residents and businesses fear that this venture will destroy the town’s already established developed services and that while some extra short term employment will be gained, in the long term more jobs will be lost or will just transfer from local hotels and businesses forced to close by this new venture. Some also express the view that wealth is being transferred into the hands, once again, of just a few Irish developers and speculators, who will leave the taxpayer to foot the bill yet again.
The oral hearing is expected to continue for a number of days and is due to hear, tomorrow, from a number of parties involved in the horse racing industry, who appear to be backing and therefore in favour of this major development.
Top racehorse trainer Aidan O’Brien and concert promoter Denis Desmond, we are told, are amongst those who have backed the venture, dreamt up by slot-machine tycoon Richard Quirke.
I think the whole thing is crazy
I sincerely hope the planning gets approved. The morale of the irish people is at an all time low why with unemployment, and general cost of living on the rise to include petrol/oil and so many others too numerous to mention. I therefore, it would be just what the people of this area and surrounding counties need. People need to have jobs/income. People need to get out and enjoy themselves this is to include the so many elderly who love a flutter. Why, most of those that go to Salthill or Tramore include the elderly. Anyone that ever went to California or Perth Australia paid a visit to Las Vegas and Casino in Perth. We have the Rock of Cashel, Holycross Abbey, The Goban Saor’s Island, and so many other tourist attractions in the County , hence another great one would be key for tourism.
There are many industries who would stand to gain financially. For example Bed and Breakfast (not everyone will stay at the 5 star hotel) Taxis (too and from trains, airports and local towns)
CIE (Thurles is a stop on all major city routes South and West) Ryan Air and Aer Lingus (flights in and out of Ireland) Demand for houses (should kickstart the sale of Houses again)
Local restaurants and local foodstuffs would be in demand I could go on and on………..
I really hope that this venture will go ahead for the benefit of all. For a change it is not the taxpayer funding the venture. Unlike other sporting programmes who get government funding.
I thank you in advance and ask if you would forward this to Mr Quirke and any other department associated with the finalalization of planning for the this Venue.
G. Majella Ni Chonduin (Ballinure Resident)