News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday November 01, 2008 01:02 by Contaminated Crow

Landfills, a power line, a Bio Park, an explosives factory and a quarry

Derryguile and Kyletalesha Residents Association celebrated victory last week in their campaign of opposition to Advanced Environmental Systems (AES) proposed expansion of its operation at the Kyletalesha landfill site when An Bord Pleanala ruled against AES’s application for planning permission for a supercomposter at the site. (Source: Leinster Leader 29/10/08, p.2)

Local residents at Milltown, Dingle, Co. Kerry, prevented ESB contractors from erecting three poles to carry power lines across the Milltown river last week, with one local woman standing in front of a JCB to prevent the work going ahead. (Source: The Kerryman (sic) 29/10/08, p.5)

Local campaigners have disputed Greenstar Holdings’ statement that it will shortly commence work on its landfill site at Usk, Co. Kildare, now that its Kilcullen landfill site has reached capacity. Des Henry of Usk and District Residents Association said, ‘Greenstar was given planning permission but a second judicial review has now been initiated and the permission is not effective until the legal issues are fully resolved’, noting the residents had ‘considerable confidence’ that they would win their case. (Source: Kildare Nationalist, 31/10/08, p. 3)

A number of objections have been filed with Kildare County Council to a proposal by BioPower of Schull, Co. Cork, for a Bio Park at Bigstone, Rathvilly, Co. Kildare, close to the borders with Carlow and Wicklow. At a recent public meeting in the village local residents said they will appeal to An Bord Pleanala if planning permission is granted. Jim Fitzpatrick, chairperson of the Bigstone Action Group, said there was ‘outright fear’ locally at the prospect of the development and concluded ‘To me, this is our village and this is a strong community. This is not going to happen as far as I’m concerned.’ (Source: Carlow Nationalist 31/10/08, p.10)

Cairde Chill an Disirt Teo (CCDT) , which withdrew from an An Bord Pleanala (ABP) oral hearing into a proposed explosives factory at Cahercon, Kildysart, Co. Clare after ABP refused to state whether the hearing was held under Irish law or an EU Directive, is seeking a High Court injunction preventing ABP from determing the appeal and requiring ABP to determine whether the hearing is a review under EU legislation or a planning appeal under Irish law. (Source: Clare People 28/10/08, p. 8)

The Hill of Allen Action Group (HAAG) has claimed that papers relating to the planning history of the Roadstone quarry at the Hill of Allen released to them by Kildare County Council following the threat of High Court proceedings by the Information Commissioner are incomplete as they don’t include papers relating to negotiations between the Council and Roadstone since 1 August 2007. HAAG note that the documents released show Roadstone has been allowed continue to quarry at the Hill of Allen for another 50 years without needing to apply for planning permission due to the Council being two months late in its instruction to Roadstone to apply for planning permission for the quarry. Miriam Mulcahy of HAAG said ‘This planning case has been characterized by an unusual, utter lack of transparency, which is all the more disturbing because there is high public interest in this case of a quarry that has, according to Kildare County Council, significant environmental effects, and which is destroying a site of high heritage value.’ (Source: Leinster Leader 30/10/08, p.1,2; Kildare Nationalist 31/10/08, p.16)