Ministerial inquiry call as Nobber incinerator hearing date postponed

A call for a ministerial inquiry in the conduct of Bord Pleanala concerning the oral hearing into the planning application for the College Proteins, Nobber, incinerator has been made by local campaigners. They have expressed fury at Bord Pleanala's decision to delay the oral hearing into the proposed meat and bonemeal incinerator at Nobber by a week to facilitate the developers, College Proteins. The North-East Against Incineration (NEAI) group have also hit out at the fact that they had learned second-hand of the change of the date. Spokesman Christy O'Reilly said that, two weeks ago, Bord Pleanala advised them the hearing would start next week but the date has now been moved to Tuesday 15th October. According to a letter from Bord Pleanala, the postponement was 'necessary to ensure the attendance of all expert witnesses on behalf of the applicant for their opening submission to the hearing so as to facilitate the running of the hearing'. "It is our understanding there should be no correspondence between the developer and Bord Pleanala after an application is made, yet Bord Pleanala inform the developer and we hear it from the Dail," said Mr O'Reilly. Mr O'Reilly said that local TD Shane McEntee had met the developer last week and during the meeting the developer mentioned that the oral hearing was deferred for a week. He said that Deputy McEntee had assumed all parties were aware of this but when NEAI heard it, they made calls to Bord Pleanala and were told letters were going out that evening stating the hearing was deferred for one week at the request of the developer. "We are asking the Minister of the Environment, John Gormley, for a ministerial enquiry into the circumstances of this case. We cannot see how this application can progress until questions are answered. How can we believe there will be an impartial decision from Bord Pleanála when the developer is calling the tune?" he asked. Deputy McEntee voiced his outrage that the oral hearing had been delayed by a further week. He said that, on foot of the original notification, the parties involved, including the NEAI, booked various experts and legal representation to be present on that day. "I think this is extremely unfair - many of those who made submissions have booked time off work, and some expert witnesses are unable to attend on the new date provided. The people of Nobber have already been treated extremely badly by this process, when the last hearing was dismissed due to the application being deemed invalid, no costs were returned to them. "This group of local residents, at huge personal expense, has maintained a campaign against the proposed addition to the plant. "They are now once again being placed at a disadvantage by this late date change." Deputy McEntee said he also concerned that the venue of the oral hearing, in County Monaghan, has been purposely selected to prevent many of those who made submissions from attending the hearing. "It is time that proper consultation takes place between Bord Pleanála, the NEAI and College Proteins to ensure a date and venue that is convenient to all is decided," he said. A spokesperson for College Proteins said the fixing of the date was a matter for Bord Pleanala's discretion and College Proteins had not requested a postponement. He also said College Proteins had learned of the new date by chance during a phone call to the board. We were unable to contact Bord Pleanala for comment.