Council looks for further info on College Proteins plans

A planning report prepared by Meath County Council on the proposal by College Proteins to build an incinerator and ash landfill north of Nobber has recommended that further information be sought on the plans. College Proteins lodged a new Strategic Infrastructure Development application with Bord Pleanala in May after withdrawing its previous application during an oral hearing last year when it emerged the application included some lands that were not in the company"s ownership. The proposed biomass combined heat and power plant would be capable of processing 105,000 tonnes of biomass per year, consisting of 52,500 tonnes of meat and bone meal (MBM) and 52,500 tonnes of waste organic liquids. The plans include an ash landfill. Meath County Council is obliged to prepare a report giving the views of the local authority on the plan and this report was submitted to councillors at their July monthly meeting on Monday, as required before it can be forwarded to Bord Pleanala. Senior executive planner Fiona Redmond said the site area of the latest application is 19.2 hectares, down from 21.4 hectares the last time. She said it is proposed that bypass steam from the CHP plant be used to pre-heat raw material, and not tallow as in the previous application. However, the content in the EIS contradicts this and she said the council is requesting further information to clarify the discrepancy. Regarding traffic, the report states that during the construction phase, there would be 18 HGV movements per day and 70 car movements and that, in the operation phase, there would be 101 HGV movements per week to the site and 28 less HGV collections per week due to termination of MBM exportation. The report states that the 'level of traffic generated would not have a significant impact on junction capacities', but states that a survey is required to assess and quantify measures to protect the structure of the road. The bridge north of Nobber should also be assessed in this regard. Further information is also being requested by the council on the water supply, including details of the additional water that would be required and details of the aquifer and the impact on the development on wells, as well as waste water and surface water management. The executive of Meath County Council is recommending that the board requests further information on these matters. Councillors were told that their views would be taken on board and added to the report as an addendum. However, local councillor Eugene Cassidy called for the report to be withdrawn and 'revisited with proper recommendations made'. He claimed there would be 358 HGVs travelling on roads to the plant each week and that a country road of four metres could not cope. He argued that regarding a previous application by Royal Mushrooms at Stackallen, the council said the five metre road was not wide enough for two trucks to pass, yet they this was a four metre road that could cater for 358 HGVs per week. There was something wrong in the development plan if it does not distinguish between Stackallen and Nobber, he said. He also raised questions about the destination of the fly ash and where it would be transported. Cllr Cassidy said there were the facilities already to dispose of MBM and said that Lagan Cement had planning permission for 50,000 tonnes of the material. Irish Cement had planning permission for 120 tonnes of alternative waste, including MBM, but these had not been mentioned in the report. He called for the report to be withdrawn and asked that planners revisit it. Cllr Bryan Reilly said he supported Cllr Cassidy and asked who was going to monitor all the traffic movements. He said: 'We have seen what construction traffic did to roads in this county. I am not sold on the idea that removal of toxic ash is safe on the roads or any other way. Accidents do happen and the danger remains. There is no need for this facility in the area. There are plenty of facilities in a short distance of Nobber, and my opinion is that it shouldn"t go ahead,' he said. Cllr John Farrelly said that if MBM might be available again for use, then Bord Pleanala - prior to making its decision - needs to find out the overall amount of MBM being produced and whether the amount is falling and if there is existing capacity to get rid of it in our own county alone. He also said that if the report is being sent to an Bord Pleanala, it should be a consistent with other reports that were forwarded to the board. Cllr Catherine Yore said there is a world heritage site in the county and there now would be two incinerators if this went ahead. She said she understood Cavan County Council was against the proposal. Several councillors raised concerns about traffic, transportation of fly ash, and whether there was a need for this facility. Cllr Nick Killian said that, collectively, everybody in the room was opposed to the project, and said they had a right to act for the common good but were not being supported by the executive. He said that people would see a storng division in the chamber between the executive and the elected members. County Manager Tom Dowling said the law is very definite in that the councillors have a role and the executive has a role and both opinions would both be forwarded on. Cllr Niamh McGowan said that this did not mean it is not open to the executive to reflect on what was said and include it in the report. In response to the criticism of the report, council director of ommunications Bill Sweeney issued a statement yesterday (Tuesday) saying: 'The council has prepared a report on the project in accordance with the Planning & Development (Strategic Infrastructure )Act 2006. This report is being submitted to An Bord Pleanala, which is the deciding body in this case. 'The report is a comprehensive one that considers the planning and development issues involved and was prepared using a wide range of technical and professional expertise available to the council. In the event of Bord Pleanala holding an oral hearing into this project, the council will welcome the opportunity to fully debate all aspects of the report and to vindicate its conclusions. Such a hearing will also provide the elected members and other parties with the opportunity to fully outline their concerns.' The statement concluded: 'The council acknowledges the right of the elected members to represent the views of their constituents. The Act quite clearly entitles the elected members to attach their own recommendation, regardless of the position of the planning authority, and those views, as recorded at Monday"s meeting of the council, will be forwarded to An Bord Pleanala.'