Gabhra Valley - planning appeal to application

national | history and heritage | news report

Tuesday October 10, 2006 01:18

by Muireann Ni Bhrolchain - Save Tara

muireann at savetara dot com

JMP construction appeal to An Bord Pleanala

The JMP construction company is appealing the application (turned down) for a demolition waste recycling facility to An Bord Pleanala. Submissions or observations required. The fee goes up now - €50 required.

The choice of routes

As expected an appeal is being lodged in relation to the development that was turned down during the summer.
This bears out the greatest fears of those looking for the re-routing of the M3 out of the Gabhra (TaraSkryne) Valley - that secondary development would result and indeed destroy the Valley.
This proposed development by JMP Construction Ltd (owned by Cathal McCarthy) is at the foot of the Hill of Tara, in the area of the proposed huge interchange as outlined on the map. It is also in the Gabhra Valley, near the Gabhra River, putative graveyard of the Fianna due to their final battle in the Valley.
This application was downplayed by certain archaeologists when it went in originally. Surely it is intended to recycle the earth that is left as a result of building the motorway? Recycling the archaeology, history and legend of Tara - our heritage.
I should have posted this immediately but anyway .............................................

Here is the text of the letter that I received.
Dated 02/10/2006

Planning Reference number: NA/60204.
An Bord Pleanala Reference number: 17.219842.

Application by JMP Construction Ltd. for the construction of a new construction and demolition waste recycling facility, incorporating the construction of a concrete yard and earth noise reduction berms and associated works together with the use of an existing entrance, access road and wheel wash on this site.

Article 69 notice planning and development regulations 2001

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please note that an appeal in relation to the above mentioned development was received by An Bord Pleanala on 27/09/2006. A copy of the appeal is available for inspection or purchase at the offices of the Planning Authority.

Submissions or observations in relation to the appeal may be made to An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough St. Dublin 1 within 4 weeks of the date of receipt of the appeal by An Bord Pleanala together with a fee of €50. (Day 1 being the date of receipt of the appeal by An Bord Pleanala.)
Yours etc.

I'm not sure how to word the submission/observation. I'm going to send the same objection that I sent the last time I think - but I'm open to correction.

The maps with this story tell their own story.

The chosen route

Interchange at Blundelstown, foot of the hill

Toll stations

Impact at Tara

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Comments (3 of 3)

Those green fields will disappear

Tue Oct 10, 2006 01:23

Please note how close the interchange is to the TOP of the hill. Imagine the development creeping quietly through those beautiful green, quiet fields.
Ministe Roche recently said that a Km should be kept on either side of the railway to Dunboyne for development, nothing wrong with that but imagine what will happen if a Km on either side of the road is kept for development - it will nearly reach the top of the hill. The interchange, the closest that the road comes to the hill, is within Ikm and a half of the TOP of the Hill. This is the real danger. The whole Valley will disappear and a toll to get in and one to get out

Land for sale at Tara

Wed Oct 25, 2006 00:05

Raymond Potterton are auctioning this 170 acre plot next Tuesday. See the link below, hover over the image 2 link to see the plot.
http://www.raymondpotterton.com/v2/detail.asp?l=474&o=1

Its a substantial amount of land and most significantly its just below the Hill of Tara. The spiel on the website states:
"It is superbly located close to the proposed line of the new M3 Motorway which will allow further easy access to Dublin City & Airport."

If this land is bought by a developer it will be a disaster for the valley and the hill and it could be the beginning of the new "sprawling" Navan.

On a related point there is also a 70 acre plot being auctioned on the same day, and also at 3PM in the Ardboyne by HOK. Its in Gerrardstown so not so close to the hill but apparently it is "about 1.5 miles from the proposed M3 motorway interchange at Garlow Cross on the N3". http://www.hokres.com/property.aspx?prop_id=757&address...stown
Isn't it just great...
These are probably not zoned for development but it is worrying to see so much land being sold so close to the proposed route.
The trend, following the planning application, is worrying. More than worrying.

Double speak or change of heart

Sat Nov 04, 2006 20:41

An objection was lodged to this proposed development by the project archaeologist on the M3 scheme. She is speaking the language of the objectors to the route of the motorway. Does it not occur to her and others that putting the interchange where it is - it was obvious that there would be efforts at development? Did it not occur to her over the past years of protest that the warning bells sounded by objecters would come true?
Well they have and now we have the extraordinary situation where the person doing the archaeology on the proposed route is objecting to the inevitable development that will follow. The road and an interchange are ok but not waste recycling? This application would never be made if it were not for this mad proposed route.

Here is her objection:

Planning Application No. NA 60204 – JMP Construction Ltd.
Development consisting of a 'new construction and demolition waste recycling facility' on lands at Philpotstown, Garlow Cross, Navan, Co Meath
By: Mary Deevy, Project Archaeologist, National Roads Design Office, MCC

Dated: 31 August 2006

The area of proposed development is located close to the Hill of Tara National Monument, and is located with its wider landscape. The area is known to have high archaeological potential as further illustrated by the ongoing archaeological investigations carried out as part of the nearby planned M3 Clonee – North of Kells Motorway Scheme 2002. These investigations identified new sites within lands included in the Land Holding Map submitted by the planning application (Philpotstown 2 and 3) and further sites in adjoining lands (Castletown Tara 1, 2 and 3). There does not as yet appear to have been any archaeological assessment of the area of this proposed development. Archaeological assessment and an assessment of the visual impact is recommended in this case and in advance of any major development in this sensitive area, as carried out on the route of the planned M3.

When issuing Directions for archaeological excavation along the route of the nearby planned M3 the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government considered the issue of concern related to the control of future development on the lands between the planned M3 and the existing N3, in particular in the area of the Blundelstown/Philpotstown interchange.

He requested his Department ‘to engage with Meath County Council to ensure appropriate policy objectives are contained in the new development plan, currently in preparation, to protect the rural character, setting and archaeological heritage of the landscape in the vicinity of Tara and the new motorway’.

This proposed industrial development may not be in accordance with the Minister’s objective on all three aspects namely – the protection of the rural character, setting and archaeological heritage of the landscape in the vicinity of Tara and the new motorway. I would recommend confirming with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government that this application is in accordance with the Minister’s objective.

Interchange at Tara

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Gabhra Valley - planning appeal to application

Comments (3 of 3)