North Cork Dump Plan

The Corkman tells of how residents in Kildorrery are up in arms this week over proposals for the development of a landfill near the village which was previously turned down by An Bord Pleanála.
A planning application for the development of a landfill at Ballyguyroe has been lodged with Cork County Council by Dublin based company Greenstar Ltd, which failed in its bid to secure planning for a similar development on the same site back in 2004.
Plans for the landfill, which proposes to cater for 145,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per annum and comprising of eight landfill cells, has caused outrage amongst local residents who fought for years for the closure of a dump operated by Cork County Council in the same area.
Following a high court battle, the council dump was finally closed in 2000. Three years later, locals were also successful in preventing Greenstar from securing planning permission for a second landfill on the site next door. Following representations to An Bord Pleanála, a decision by Cork County Council not to grant planning was upheld with the Bord citing that such a development would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
However, the company has now returned with renewed plans for a dump to which locals have responded by reactivating the former Kildorrery Anti-Dump Group.
A public meeting has been called to discuss the proposals which will take place at Kildorrery Community Hall on Wednesday next, January 17 at 8.30pm.
A spokesman for the group, who resides within a half mile of the proposed landfill, said they plan to do everything in their power to stop this development from going ahead amid fears of contamination to the local water supply and increased traffic levels arising from the development.
“We will be objecting to Cork County Council on a number of grounds, paying particular attention to the threat which this development poses to health and safety. Kildorrery has taken more than its fair share when it comes to the disposal of waste and we are not willing to go down that road again,” said the spokesman.
The group spokesman added that locals had been left enraged by the erection of the site notice at Ballyguyroe just days before Christmas.
“Did the company hope their plans would go un-noticed and the five week submission period would be up before locals realised what was happening? They couldn’t have been more wrong and we are urging locals to attend next week’s meeting to help us in the fight to protect our community,” he added.
Cllr Liam O’Doherty, chairman of the local dump monitoring committee, said he was astonished that on foot of two refusals Greenstar Ltd would return to the negotiating table.
“Communities cannot be expected to keep fighting these multinationals which continue to target rural communities with limited resources,” he said.