This article is from page 10 of the 2006-05-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
PLANS by a Cork-based company to quarry 1.8 million tonnes of material from a quarry at Ruan is facing opposition. Last month Healy Bros lodged plans for a quarry at Ard Kearney and Attycrilla, Ruan over the next nine years.
The plan involves the extraction of 200,000 tonnes of material each year from the 23-acre quarry.
However, Limerick-based solicitor, Melvyn Hanly Solicitors, in an objection, claim that part of the lands have been quarried already without the benefit of planning permission. The quarry therefore falls under retention.
The firm also claim that there is an enforcement notice on the land and that a court order is in place for the unauthorised development.
They further claim that additional traffic will have a detrimental impact on road users and that no road safety audit has been undertaken, and the fauna impact assessment lodged with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not adequate.
According to the EIS, the company intend to carry out blasting 25 times each year at the site, and to operate from 6am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and 6am to 6pm on Saturdays.
The quarry will also operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays in exceptional circumstances.
The operation will involve the transportation of 30 loads per day from the site.
The EIS lodged with the planning application shows that there are 13 houses within 250 metres of the site and 28 homes within 500 metres.
It states that the proposed development, “is essential to the ongoing competitiveness of the company’s established operation”.
“Projections show that additional resources are required to serve construction projects in the region and therefore it is necessary to seek alternative sources of aggregate.”
The statement adds that the quarry would be a significant source of raw material for these new proposed developments.
The company states, “The proposed development will not adversely affect the environment or the adjacent existing land-use.”
The applicants state that there has already been in place a quarry at the site and operated between 2003 and 2005, but ceased production last July.
According to the EIS, Healy Bros have 60 years experience in the quarrying industry and are the largest independent operation in southern Munster, employing up to 400 people.
A decision is due on the application later this month.