Clonalvy quarry plans opposed by local residents

Plans to extend a sand and gravel quarry at Ford de Fyne, close to the village of Clonalvy, have been met by fierce opposition from local residents who are concerned about the impact the proposed development would have on the environment and the increased heavy traffic it would generate. Ford de Fyne residents are fearful that the intensification of the quarry would ruin the rural character of the area, cause problems for groundwater supplies and lead to heavy goods vehicles travelling on narrow country roads. Meath County Council recently granted planning permission to Goode Concrete Ltd for an extension of the existing sand and gravel extraction area over an area of 1.8 hectares (almost 4.5 acres) on an overall site extension area of 7.26 hectares, to supply the existing concrete batching plant. The application states that HGV movements generated by the proposal will be limited to a maximum of 30 two-way concrete truck movements per day and two cement supply trips per day. The proposal includes works to the site's existing vehicular entrance and the permission period is 10 years. The application was lodged last September and more than 30 submissions were received on the plans. Meath County Council granted permission in June, subject to conditions, and three appeals against this decision have been lodged by local residents Terence and Geraldine Dunne, Denise Dunne, and Kevin Geoghegan and others. A decision is due on the appeal on 17th November. Two previous applications by Gerald McDonald for a concrete batching plant were refused in 2000 and 2001 before permission was granted by Meath County Council in 2002 and an Bord Pleanala upheld this decision. It is understood that the concrete batching plant is not in use and has not yet produced concrete. Applications for a larger extension to the quarry were lodged by Goode Concrete Ltd in 2004, 2005 and 2007 but were turned down, and another application was withdrawn in 2006. The latest application, lodged in September 2008, was granted permission by Meath County Council and the appeals are currently being considered by Bord Pleanala. Terry Dunne, whose home is right beside the quarry, said environmental issues are their main concern, in particular the risk to the ground water supply. "It is one of the conditions that if the groundwater is damaged, they must provide an alternative source, but where is that going to come from? There is no public water mains here," he said. Mr Dunne added that the roads are unable to handle heavy traffic and that the quarry is too close to their houses. The Fourknocks tomb is also in close proximity to the quarry site. Mr Dunne said there are insufficent sight lines on the road and there is supposed to be 160m both sides of the entrance which, he said, is not the case. The noise and dust are also considerations. "We are concerned about the effect it would have on local residents with noise and dust. When they were taking sand off the quarry four or five years ago, the constant beeping of the trucks was awful," added Mr Dunne. Another resident, Ann Hayes, is also worried about the effect the extension of the quarry would have on their well. "If they are digging out, we are worried about the groundwater. We all depend on wells for our water supply. There is no public mains. If it gets contaminated, we are stumped." She added: "How many times can they say no? We've been fighting this for 10 years and they keep going ahead with another application." Denise Dunne, who owns a certified organic herb nursery nearby, is concerned that her licence could be revoked because of her proximity to the quarry if the extension is granted. She said: "I am only 75m from the site. I'm concerned about dust, contamination and pollution. I could end up losing my organic licence. I am inspected every year and could be inspected at any time for my licence." Ms Dunne said she is also concerned that schoolchildren wait for the bus at the entrance to the quarry. She said: "My daughter, Laura, gets her school bus at the site entrance and many more secondary school students are collected along the proposed route of HGVs. This will be of particular concern during the winter months, when children are leaving and returning home in darkness."