LOCALS REJOICE AS SUPERDUMP IS REFUSED PLANNING

An Bord Pleanala have refused planning permission for a controversial €20 million “superdump” in Ballyguyroe, Kildorrery. Waste management company Greenstar had proposed to dispose of 140,000 tons of waste a year in the woodland site, a move strongly opposed by locals.

Tensions over the dump came to a head last November when, having twice been refused permission by both Cork County Council and An Bord Pleanala, Greenstar were granted an oral hearing on the matter, where the company warned of an “impending waste crisis” for Munster.

Greenstar had been awarded a licence from the Environmental Protection Agency for the dump, which they proposed would service the entire Munster region. At the moment Greenstar transport their Munster output for disposal in Kildare and Dublin.

These claims were countered by Cork County Council, who pointed to their waste facility in Bottlehill, due to be operational by 2012 as adequate cover to cater for Cork’s needs.

The news will be warmly welcomed by locals who had previously fought to have a similar dump on an adjacent site run by Cork County Council closed following complaints of foul smells and swarms of insects. Fine Gael Cork county councillor, Liam O’Doherty believes the right decision has been made.

“I welcome the decision made by an Bord Pleanala”, Cllr O’Doherty told The Avondhu, “Cork County Council has adequate waste facilities at Bottlehill. As chairman of the Ballyguyroe Monitoring Group I’m very happy to see the site denied planning permission after a similar dump had been closed”.

At the oral hearing last November Greenstar had claimed that even with the site at Bottlehill, the Munster region would still face an estimated shortfall of 150,000 tons per annum.

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