THE WEST'S wealthiest quarryman, Frank Harrington, finally got his dues recently when the Mayo Association bestowed upon him the honour of Mayo Person of the Year. More good news for Frank has come from An Bord Pleanála (ABP), which recently ruled that four of his quarries - all unauthorised - cannot be subject to stringent conditions from Mayo County Council.
The Council decided a few years ago that the four sizeable quarries - which Harrington has been operating since the 1970s - were unauthorised. Council officials duly imposed conditions on the operation as - according to their legal advice - the complicated quarrying legislation (the Planning & Development Act 2000) exempted Harrington's quarries from having to seek planning permission.
Things got even more complicated when Harrington appealed the imposed conditions to ABP in May 2007. Strangely, ABP decided not to actually make a ruling on the case but, instead, ABP member Jane Doyle issued a "notice" to Harrington and the Council, stating that there was "no basis [in the quarrying legislation] for ... the imposition of conditions" on Harrington's "unauthorised" quarries. A delighted Harrington duly withdrew his appeal and the quarries continue to turn a hefty profit. Indeed, Frank Harrington Ltd (FHL) sold €40m worth of concrete and tarmac in 2006, a 21% increase on the previous year. FHL had accumulated a whopping €13m in profits at the end of 2006, which was shared between Frank and his wife, Patricia, who each own 50% of FHL.
ABP also recommended that Harrington now seek planning permission for the troublesome quarries, although Council officials believe that he may be exempt from this requirement. As a result, the Council is now considering legal action against Harrington with a view to closing the quarries until the mess is sorted out, which would might a bit embarrassing for the Mayo Person of the Year.
The Phoenix
www.buckplanning.ie
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