WHAT IS it with quarries and the courts? Gerry McManus, owner of Boyle Quarries Ltd (BQ), is taking Roscommon County Council to the High Court in a bid to get planning permission for his quarry, while a recent legal action against the company for noise pollution has threatened to shut his operation down. McManus applied for planning permission to continue operating his controversial quarry in Letfordspark, Boyle, in January 2006, as new planning laws for quarries required. According to the Council, McManus was unsuccessful but the Fermanagh-based quarryman disputes this and says that the Council didn’t come back with an answer within the established timeframe. McManus has now gone to the High Court seeking a judicial review that he hopes will lead to his company getting planning permission by default.
It isn’t the first headache McManus has caused planning officials, who served an enforcement notice on BQ in July 2005 for unauthorised development on the Letsfordpark site, including illegal quarrying, structures and machinery. McManus is also dealing with an action taken under the Environmental Pollution Act against BQ by local couple Edward and Teresa Quinn, for excessive noise. Circuit Court judge Miriam Reynolds sided with the Quinns and has ordered all noise from the quarry to cease, effectively closing the quarry. McManus didn’t return Goldhawk’s calls and his solicitor – Michael J Ryan – had no comment on the possibility of an appeal.
On top of all this, McManus is awaiting a ruling from the High Court in relation to another action – this time by local Tom Callan – relating to allegedly illegal intensification of quarrying. It might be a good time for Gerry to head back across the border.
© The Phoenix
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