Boardsmill locals meet amid concern over piggery plans

Boardsmill residents who are concerned over proposed plans to build a piggery in the area held an information meeting for local people last Thursday. Local farmer Kenneth Buttimer is seeking planning permission for a piggery to accommodate 7,000 pigs at Dalystown, Castlerickard, Longwood, which is in Boardsmill Parish. The proposed development consists of structures to accommodate pigs, a staff office, toilet facilties, wastewater treatment system, percolation area and the carrying out of ancillary site development works in the new pig-rearing farmyard. The proposed development will have capacity for approximately 7,000 pigs. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) was prepared in relation to the application. An information meeting, which took place in Boardsmill Hall last Thursday, was attended by Mr Buttimer and representatives of Sean Lucy & Associates who drew up the plans for the project. Cllr Ray Butler chaired the meeting and said he was there to be a neutral chairman. He welcomed both Mr Buttimer and his team and the local residents. Cllr Butler said he explained the planning process and told the gathering that they have until 3rd September to lodge objections. Bernard Kelly, who lives beside the entrance to the site, said he organised the meeting to let people know about the plans and said that there were people who did not know what was happening. "This is a quiet community. Something like this hasn't happened in the area in a long time and people were not looking out for it," he said. Mr Kelly said he is concerned about the effect the piggery would have on the area, including the smells, and that it would devaluate their properties. "It is a beautiful place to live and grow up in. If the piggery goes ahead, it will destroy it. There would be a smell around the place that would deteriorate the place and bring the value of property down," he said. Geraldine Oliver lives about a mile away from the piggery and is also concerned about the impact it would have. She said the residents will be engaging a consultant to draw up an objection on their behalf. Ms Oliver said: "The residents' main concerns are the smell from the farm, the noise and the 20 truck movements a week down a very narrow country road." She said they were told at the meeting that there would no smell and no noise and that the truck movements would not be any noisier than the tractors that go up and down the road. However, Mr Oliver said: "As residents, we are not very happy at all and do not believe that 7,000 pigs will not create a smell or make noise." Mr Buttimer, who is planning to build the piggery, said that an environmental impact report and surveys were undertaken in the area and that all of the residents' questions had been answered professionally by the team at the meeting. The EIS is also available to view or purchase in Meath County Council's planning office. Mr Buttimer said some residents had suggested that, once they got planning permission, they would do their own thing, but he said that everything has to be done to specification and, if not, they could be told to take it down. He said they were not prepared for that to happen after spending €30,000 to date on the plans. According to Mr Buttimer, a lot of people were content after the meeting and he said he told them that if they wanted to see another piggery, it would be arranged. Regarding the smells, he said: "We have been assured there will be no smell other than when the slurry is being spread on the land and whether it is chicken dung or human waste being spread, there will be some smell. Other than that, there is no reason for there to be a smell. The tanks do not need to be agigated." According to Mr Buttimer, the regulations stipulate that a piggery has to be 200m from the nearest house and he said the proposed development is 800m from the nearest house, which is well within the regulations. Interested parties have until 3rd September to make a submission to Meath County Council on the plans.