RESIDENTS in the townland of Harristown in Co Wexford have won their battle with a local concrete manufacturing firm which planned to construct a production facility in their area.
The county council's planning department has rejected an application from the Wexford Block company to relocate its batching plant from Castlebridge to the picturesque Kilbride area of Harristown.
"We're delighted with the outcome, " says residents' spokesman Niall Murphy.
"We're a small community of 60 to 80 people and without a shadow of a doubt almost everyone was opposed to this development. At the same time we're not getting carried away. There's nothing to stop the firm reapplying or appealing the decision."
The council cited environmental factors among the reasons for rejecting the proposal which would have involved the erection of a 15m silo, storage bays and other storage facilities, a block stacking area, a bunded fuel tank site, an office building, a garage, a canteen, associated staff facilities and a car park.
"It was going to be a complete eyesore. On top of that, there would be no natural screening as far as dust and noise are concerned, " says Murphy.
An Taisce expressed concern at the visual impact the proposed development would have and said: "No amount of landscaping would hide it and it would cause an unacceptable visual intrusion in this unspoiled country area."
"They were planning on using well water to service the site, " Murphy says. "We were concerned over the possible effect on the water table.
There's no mains water in the area. I've had to dig three wells totalling nearly 600ft to find water. And the Environmental Protection Agency has already earmarked the southeast as an area likely to suffer water shortages in the next 15 years."
The residents' primary concern was the inevitable increase in traffic the facility would generate on a stretch of the N25 already notorious for serious road accidents.
"There have been a number of traffic accidents here and people have died on this stretch of road. In most cases, and with most councils, if road safety is a consideration at all, it's deemed sufficient reason to refuse this kind of development."
The roads authority had advised Wexford county council that "to permit the development as proposed would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and obstruction of road users due to the movement of the extra traffic generated".
According to Murphy, the success of the residents' campaign is an example of how residents acting in unison can influence the planning process. "We had the support of councillors from the district as well and we'd like to thank them for their help."
"I think it was the wrong development for this area, " says local FF councillor Lisa McDonald. "It's an elevated site in a scenic area. If you proposed building a bungalow on this site you'd have your application refused."
Sunday Tribune
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