'Suas' the cable car planned for quays

A COMPANY is seeking to fast-track the planning process and secure permission to develop a cable car service along the Dublin quays.

The Liffey Cable Car Company is among 53 applicants who have sought permission from An Bord Pleanala to build a range of large projects under a new system allowing applications to be processed more quickly.

The cable car - known as Suas - would run between Heuston Station and the Docklands and would transport sightseers at heights close to 80 metres above the river from the Guinness Brewery near Heuston to a terminal near the planned national conference centre at Spencer Dock.

Said to be inspired by the success of the London Eye, it is designed more as a tourist attraction than for public transport.

But a poll on an architect's website found that just 10pc of respondents welcomed the scheme, with 41pc saying it would destroy the visual appearance of the city. The remainder described it as "Disneyland gimmickry" and a "complete waste of money".

The proposal is among dozens received by An Bord Pleanala under the Strategic Infrastructure Act, which came into effect last January. This allows certain projects to be dealt with directly by An Bord Pleanala, rather than having to be adjudicated by local authorities. Other schemes seeking approval include the controversial Corrib Gas pipeline, the €1bn redevelopment of Galway's Ceannt Station and the extension of the Luas Red line from Tallaght to Citywest.

Another application relates to the reopening of the railway line between Clonsilla and Dunboyne, Co Meath, which would be good news for commuters if approved swiftly.

Paul Melia
Irish Independent