Nobber incineration proposal goes to An Bord Pleanala

Nobber firm College Proteins expects to lodge its controversial application for a combined generating and heating plant (CHP), or incinerator, to process 105,000 tonnes of meat and bonemeal material with An Bord Pleanala this week, a spokesman for the company confirmed yesterday (Tuesday).

The application is being made under the Strategic Infrastructrual Development Schemes (SIDS) procedure, normally used for major public projects related to road, water or sewerage schemes. The plans have aroused considerable opposition in the locality but the College Road firm has stressed that it has consulted with residents and said that the biomass plant conformed to the Government's White Paper proposals on sustainable energy development.

The firm is licensed both by the Environemtal Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture and currently employes 80 people.

The secretary of Nobber Pride of Place, John Keogan, said this week that it would be returning the €12,000 donation it had received from College Proteins to underline its opposition to the project. Cllr Eugene Cassidy also stressed his opposition to the plans, adding that most locals held the same view.

A public meeting in Kingscourt last Friday night elected a sub-committee to affiliate to the North-East Against Incineration group, the body leading the campaign against the proposed incinerator. The meeting was chaired by Cllr Clifford Kelly who said that the project did not seem in the best interests of the people of Kingscourt.

Other councillors to express opposition to the project were Deputy Thomas Byrne, Councillors Eugene Cassidy, Sean McKiernan and Paddy McDonald. Dr Martin White, the Nobber GP, has restated his objection to the project and said that he was relaying the views of colleague, Dr John McMahon, GP, Kingscourt, to the meeting. North-East Against Incineration chairman Larry McEntee described the College Proteins proposal as a “money-making” project which took no heed of the views of the local majority while Colr Cassidy urged his Cavan colleagues to table a motion for their May meeting.

Deputy Byrne said there was no guarantee that An Bord Pleanala would approve the College Proteins application.

A spokesperson for College Proteins confirmed that the application was expected to be with Bord Pleanala later this week. The biomass plant, if approved, would bring 18 new permanent jobs and give employement to 100 during the two-year construction term, he added.