"The Dursey Island tourism project was way out of scale".
That's according to the Director of Friends of the Irish Environment who welcomed the High Courts decision to scrap the €10 million Dursey Island mass tourism project.
Yesterday, the High Court approved a final court order quashing permission for the project. The Judicial Review, taken by F.I.E called the project "undesirable on multiple grounds" and appealed the grant of permission by Cork County Council in 2021.
The proposed development at the end of the Beara Peninsula in West Cork included a new cable car system, glass fronted visitor centre, gift shop and café, along with 100 new parking spaces.
10 compulsory purchases of land for passing bays have also been abandoned by the the local authority.
Speaking to RedFM News, Director of Friends of the Irish Enviroment, Tony Lowes, says the current cable car will reopen in January 2023:
"There was one idea that was part of the plan that we'd like to see kept, and that was that there should be a sign out of the main road, which is six kilometers from the actual pier and Cable Car, and the sign would show how long the waiting time was. Obviously, you get a buildup of cars, especially in July and August and people can become frustrated. So a sign like that at the main road would be really useful."
