Appeals lodged against proposed Cork recycling facility

THE saga surrounding a proposed recycling facility in Little Island rumbles on, as a number of appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála after Cork County Council granted planning permission for the development.

In February, the local authority gave the go-ahead to Country Clean Recycling Unlimited Company for a waste transfer and recycling facility at Courtstown Industrial Estate, Courtstown, Little Island, subject to 33 conditions.

The application was originally submitted in December 2018 – that was following a previous application which was deemed invalid.

Around 150 submissions, observations and objections were received by Cork County Council on the project.

It was granted permission last month, with the Council’s report stating: “The proposed development would not be prejudicial to residential amenity and accords with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

However, now four third party appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála, while the applicants themselves, Country Clean, have also appealed two of the 33 conditions attached to their planning permission.

The applicants claim that condition two of the planning conditions - "Prior to commencement of the development, the applicant shall obtain as necessary a waste facility permit and shall comply with any condition attached therein” - is unreasonable as a license is needed only for operation, not construction.

Meanwhile, they took issue with a section of another condition, which states that waste can only be taken into the facility between 6am and 8pm Monday to Saturday, but cannot be accepted at all on Sundays or Public Holidays.

They’ve asked for the condition to state that waste receipt will not take place on Sundays, but will be permitted between 6am and 8pm Monday to Saturday.

“The waste collection business is a 6 day a week operation and any interruption to this causes knock on effects for residences and businesses such as restaurants,” the appeal states.

Meanwhile, a significant number of issues were raised by residents, locals and businesses in the area during the initial planning process. One of the subsequent appeals to An Bord Pleanála states: “Country Cleans proposed facility will do nothing but detract from the existing amenity of the existing and proposed residents and surrounding businesses, from noise, odour and traffic issues.”

The appellants have taken issue with the size of the operation, which they say is five times the size of a previous operation that was given the green light on the site. They also raise issues with the close proximity of the proposed facility to local businesses and residential areas.

“There are over 100 existing houses within 500m of the site and a minimum of 250 extra proposed houses on the zoned lands to the north west of the site,” the appeal states.

They also claim the main estate road serving Courtstown Industrial Estate and Harbour Point Business Park beyond is in serious disrepair.

“One pothole was so deep that someone placed a child's car seat in the hole with a high vis jacket around the back of the seat to warn motorists of its presence! Trucks and cars alike drive down the estate road as if on a slalom course avoiding potholes and raised manhole covers,” the appeal states.

They go on to say that “with this proposed development, our quality of life, enjoying our own back garden will be greatly reduced both from odour and noise pollution.”

An Bord Pleanála are due to make a ruling on the case by July 13.