Having initially received a green light for planning permission on the €20 million film studio, Tara Studios’ will now have to wait another four months to find out if its ambitious plans have been successful.
This setback comes following an objection being lodged by a local in relation to the scale of the project in a quiet rural area. The objection also argued that the studio represented an inappropriate and opportunistic endeavour in an area that was not suited to such a project.
The company behind the development, which is headed up by John Gleeson and Ivan Dunleavy, intended to turn the Tara Studios site located at Borleagh Manor in north Wexford into one of the largest film production facilities in Ireland.
The plans for the new facility will include seven sound stages along with supporting buildings on the 160-acre site and had been welcomed by Screen Wexford, the recently formed film subsidiary of the Wexford County Council.
It is anticipated that Wexford's new film studios could help generate in the region of 350 jobs on incoming productions and a further 30 jobs at Tara Studios itself, plus additional local employment for technical and craft workers.
As part of the initial granting of planning permission, Wexford County Council also secured a contribution of over €136,000 from Tara Studios towards the upgrade costs of improving the local road network to address the concerns raised by local residents regarding the impact of additional traffic caused by the project and studio space.
The team behind Tara Studios is headed up by John Gleeson and Ivan Dunleavy. Gleeson hails from North Wexford and is recognised as one of Ireland's most established advisors on film finance and an expert on the Irish Film and Television Tax Credit, Section 481; with a past list of media clients that include Amazon, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Sony, and Universal Pictures. Ivan Dunleavy, whose parents were originally from Wexford, is the former chief executive of Pinewood Studios, the UK's iconic "dream factory" and home to the James Bond franchise among many others. Dunleavy has also been an executive producer on film productions and involved in post-production in the area of groundbreaking visual effects.
The outcome of the appeal is expected by June 21st.
