This article is from page 17 of the 2008-06-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
CLARE County Council has urged An Bord Pleanala to uphold its deci- sion to grant planning permission to a €10 million explosives factory at Cahercon on the basis that objectors’ appeals have produced nothing new.
Opponents to the explosives plant including the Kildysart Explosives Factory Opposition Group (KE- FOG), Cairde Chill an Disirt Teo and An Taisce appealed the council decision to An Bord Pleanala.
In a rebuttal submission to the ap-
peals board, the council has stated that no further substantive planning issues have been raised and the plan- ner’s report into the initial objections deals with all of the issues raised.
In an 1l-page report lodged with An Bord Pleanala, the council states that the previous An Bord Pleanala decision conceded the principle of development on the site, while the extraction of the fill material and importation on site has since been addressed to the satisfaction of the council.
In relation to the issue of safety,
the council state that it is guided by reports from the Health and Safety Authority and submissions from the HAS on August 2007 and February 2008 do not recommend against the grant of permission.
In relation to claims by objectors on the adverse landscape impact of the proposal, the council state that having regard to the backdrop and forested area to the rear and side; the relatively low buildings and the lim- ited range of views to the site and the existence of industrially scaled de- velopments in the Shannon Estuary,
the development would be acceptable from a visual amenity viewpoint.
“In relation to the extraction area which is on undulating farmlands, it is considered that due to the tempo- rary nature and location of the site, this element of the proposed devel- opment will not have a significant serious negative impact on visual amenities of the area.”
In relation to Cahercon pier, the council state that the conditions at- tached to the planning permission do not imply consent for any upgrade works to the pier to facilitate the de-
(od Ceyeyeateael
The council also states that the pro- posed development will not seriously depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity of the site, stating that the nearest dwelling is owned by the applicant.
Without a sod being turned on the scheme, the Whelan Group has al- ready spent almost €7 million on the project. When operational the plant will provide employment for close to 35 people and will contrib- ute €3 million annually to the local economy.