Monday 17 March 2008

Controversial quarry told to quit by Meath council

The council issued an enforcement notice on Thursday telling Kilsaran Quarries to cease all quarry related operations including blasting, digging and excavation. We are delighted that Meath County Council has finally seen fit to take action,' said residents' spokesman Jon Pierson. Our lives have been made a misery, our homes shake from the blasting. There are up to 600 trucks a day travelling to and from the quarries and the noise from the stone crushing is horrendous,' he added.

The previous Monday, March 3rd, six Bellewstown families took an action against the quarries in the High Court.

In court they claimed both the Kilsaran and Keegan quarries in Bellewstown are unauthorised, under section 160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The High Court has given the quarries until March 25th to produce answering affidavits. We expect to be back in court on April 7th to get a hearing date, the resident's spokesman explained.

Local councillor Eoin Holmes is ‘thrilled' at the council's move. ‘I know they did not take this action lightly. None of us are against quarrying but we cannot have quarries riding roughshod over planning regulations and communities,' he said.

While the council has issued notice telling Kilsaran to quit all operations, this does not mean that quarrying has ceased in Bellewstown. The company has 21 days to respond to the council's notice.

A council spokesman would not give the grounds for issuing the cessation notice.

However, the spokesman did say that the council will reserve its position on further action until it has had an opportunity to consider any submissions from the quarry.

A spokeswoman for Kilsaran Quarries declined to comment on the issue when contacted by the Drogheda Independent.

Drogheda Independent

www.buckplanning.ie

No comments: