Quarry near Tara remains exempt in heritage plan

The Kilsaran quarry at Tullykane, Dunsany, is an active working quarry with existing development entitlements, those making submissions to the Tara Skryne Landscape Conservation Area (LCA) draft consultation process have been told. A significant number of submissions on the draft plan point to the fact that the conservation area omits the quarry, which is visible from the Hill of Tara. The county manager's recommendation is that no change be made to the designation. Kilsaran also makes a submission on the draft conservation area. Fergus Gallagher, on behalf of the company, said that Kilsaran Concrete owns lands extending to 138 hectares in the townlands of Tullykane and Arlonstown and noted that the Arlonstown lands are included in the draft LCA. It states that these lands are not visible from either the two key view points, the hills of Tara and Skryne. Kilsaran also submitted that its rock reserves could effectively be sterilised by their inclusion in the LCA and recommended that it be removed to protect future aggregate reserves. It is stated that, as a large landowner in the area, it is imperative that its views are taken on board. The county manager's recommendation to councillors is that no change be made to the designation of the Arlonstown lands in the draft plan. Almost 350 submissions were received from Meath County Council on the proposed draft area of conservation in the Skryne and Tara areas, which stretches from Bective, through Kilmessan and Dunsany to Skryne and Walterstown. Some of these are duplications as they have been made by local politicians on behalf of constituents, as well as by residents themselves. Meath County Councillors have to decide on whether to accept or reject the plan at a special meeting on 12th October. Local residents, landowners and, in some cases, businesses and industries have made submissions, mostly opposing the plan. Many oppose the de-exemption of various planning categories proposed, some query the public consultation process, while others oppose the extent of the area covered by the draft plan. These include Oliver Mitchell of the Abbey Bar, Bective, who said he does not understand the need to extend the conservation area as far as Bective and Connell's Crossroads. The JCR Lenehan farm produce company at Clonardran, Garlow Cross, also expressed concern about how the proposal will affect future expansion of its facility and business. A similar concern is expressed by Christy Barry of Tara Construction, also based at Garlow Cross. Planners and consulting engineers Terry & O'Flanagan Architects, on behalf of Cathal McCarthy, Garlow Cross, Navan, said that the public consultation was fundamentally flawed as landowners were not given propoer notice of the proposals. The submission states that only the Minister for the Environment, under legislation, can approve a list of prescribed development, and that the removal of exempted development rights would require legislation. In response, the council said that the Planning and Development Act 2000 allows a planning authority to designate an area as an LCA. The minister may, in turn, prescribe that certain developments within the area do not constitute exempted development. The de-exemption proposals in the draft plan will not be activated unless so prescribed by the minister, it added. There are submissions welcoming the draft plan, including one from the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society, and various academics from universities, including Joe Fenwick of NUI Galway. Developer Seamus Ross of Menolly Homes sought clarification on lands in Kilmessan which were included within the draft LCA and the Kilmessan Local Area Plan 2009-2015, with a residential land use zoning. The council agreed to omit these zoned lands from the draft LCA boundary.