Incinerator proposal in Ringaskiddy reactivated

AN Bórd Pleanála has sent letters this week to a number of residents in the Cork harbour area alerting them to the reactivation of a proposal for a waste to energy facility in Ringaskiddy and reawakening fears that a 24 year campaign to oppose an incinerator will have to be reignited.

The proposal by Indaver Ireland had been approved in 2017 by An Bord Pleanála but that decision had been the subject of a High Court case in 2021 where the judge set aside the planning authority’s adjudication and ordered that the proposal be returned to the point before it was considered by the planning authority and after oral hearings.

Originally the proposal had included Cork County Council as a party alongside Indaver Ireland but the reactivated proposal, which has a new case number according to the Bórd Pleanála website, names only Indaver NV trading as Indaver Ireland as the applicant. 

The reactivated proposal is for a waste to energy facilty and is also called a resource recovery centre – the word ‘incinerator’ is not used to describe what is proposed.

LETTER

In the letter dated June 4 sent to the solicitors for the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE), which spearheaded the campaign to oppose the incinerator plan, the official for An Bórd Pleanála writes that the proposal has been reactivated and is before the board for determination. 

The letter advises that ‘participants will be given an opportunity to comment on any updates that the developer may submit on the application to the Board’.

Under the case’s new reference number of PA04.318802, the proposal is for the development of what is described as a resource recovery centre (including waste-to-energy facility). The date the proposal was submitted is given as January 8 of this year and under the decision heading, the comment is: “Further consideration necessary”.

When The Echo contacted representatives of CHASE on Thursday regarding the reactivated proposal, they described the letter as a statutory notice putting them on alert.

Linda Fitzpatrick, who is the PRO for CHASE, said that there was concern that the plan had been reactivated. “Obviously we were thrilled to win the case and have the planning quashed and really happy with the verdict but we would really liked to have the case thrown out altogether rather than let it back to An Bórd Pleanála.

“It’s hanging over you until the day it all activates and, at the moment, we don’t know are we going back into oral hearings or are we just making submissions but whatever way it is, it’s still just hugely taxing and this has been going on for nearly 24 years.

“Everybody’s exhausted from it and can’t really believe that despite everything, we’re still looking at a fight,” she said.

Outgoing Independent councillor for the Carrigaline electoral area, Marcia D’Alton, who was also involved in the campaign to oppose an incinerator in Cork Harbour when it began, told The Echo of her concern regarding the reactivated application.

“It’s a David V Goliath scenario and one that’s intolerable in the longer term and any Government that protects its people, let alone cares for what is probably the most valuable resource the country has which is Cork Harbour, no Government protecting its people would allow this to happen,” said the councillor. Ms. D’Alton added that apart from concerns regarding the technicalities of the process, the real concern she felt is that the Cork Harbour community were back at this point once again.

The Echounderstands that an inspector is to be appointed to the case and that official will adjudicate whether, for instance, a new oral hearing will be required.

A spokesperson from An Bord Pleanála said that the applicant had been asked to furnish further information regarding the effects on the environment of the proposed development.

“The holding of an oral hearing will be at the discretion of the Board and will depend on applicant’s response to the further information request,” said the spokesperson.

Indaver NV trading as Indaver Ireland were contacted for comment by The Echo.