This article is from page 13 of the 2006-03-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
THE jobs of 110 people working at the Whelan Group’s flagship operation outside Ennis could be under threat following Clare County Council’s restriction of a multi-million euro expansion of the operation to a ten-year lifespan.
Last month, the planning authority granted Whelan Limestone Quarries permission to expand its Fountain operation, but refused planning for two sectors of the plan and ordered that the permission expire after 10 years.
However, in a comprehensive appeal against 12 conditions contained in the planning permission, the Whelan Group has stated that the 10-year restriction “could jeopardize the longterm employment of 110 people that depend on this quarry for their livelihood.”
The Whelan Group had sought permission to extend the life of the quarry by 26 years.
In its appeal, the group states that the 10-year approval “represents only one third of the rock reserves for which planning was sought and this will represent a very short life span of the quarry.” The restrictive conditions “could also endanger the long-term availability of rock aggregates . . . and this may result in the development of other greenfield sites as quarry operations instead of expanding the lifespan of well established quarry that has been in operation since the 1950s.”
They have also raised concerns about the council’s requirement that a separate planning permission be sought for the upgrading to the quarry on the Lahinch Road.
The council gave the go-ahead for much of the plan last month in spite of strong local opposition.
A decision is expected on the appeal in August of this year.