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The Irish Times has reported that
leading racehorse trainer Aidan O'Brien was "over the
moon" following An Bord Plean�la's decision to refuse
planning permission for a waste treatment plant, which
would have been sited close to his Ballydoyle Racing Stables
and the Coolmore Stud in south Tipperary. |
Mr O'Brien said the proposed development "would have destroyed
Ballydoyle .... closed us down and ruined all the land in
terms of raising horses".
A joint venture company - Green Organics Energy Ltd
(GOE) - had sought approval for the facility at Castleblake
near the village of Rosegreen on a site which had traditionally
been used for rendering animals (Click
Here).
The �100 million plant was intended to process waste from
meat factories as well as household organic 'brown-bin'
waste. GOE planned to process the waste using anaerobic digestion
to generate 'green' electricity for the national grid
and biodiesel for cars.
An Bord Plean�la, while acknowledging 'the desirability
of providing such facilities', rejected the proposal claiming
that it would be 'prejudicial to the viability of the equine
industry in this area'. The planning authority noted that
it is 'the policy of the Government to support the equine
sector' and the proposed development would be located
'in an area of national importance for the bloodstock industry'.
Mr O'Brien said - "We are delighted here at Ballydoyle with
this decision. I want to pay tribute to the many individuals
and organisations throughout this community for their hard
work in campaigning against this development."
A spokeswoman for GOE said the company - "has not had sight
of the decision and will be reviewing it in detail when it
is available".
The decision and the inspector's report have been posted
on the Bord Plean�la website (Click
Here).
The venture was backed by three Irish companies, Dawn Meats,
Bioverda and Avglade - a holding company controlled by Tipperary
businessman Louis Ronan.
The proposal was the subject of a 12-day public hearing conducted
by An Bord Plean�la in Clonmel last February, which heard
statements from expert witnesses and attracted large crowds
including many employees of both Ballydoyle Stables and Coolmore
Stud. The hearing was told that John Magnier's Coolmore Group
- one of the industry's most successful operations - could
be forced to relocate away from Co Tipperary if the plant
received approval.
In his testimony, Aidan O'Brien claimed the proposal - "would
be a disaster" and negatively impact on the health of horses
at Ballydoyle.
Former attorney general, Rory Brady SC, who led the legal
team for GOE, said the case was "fundamentally a clash between
modernity and a fear of change".
Paul Barrett, the project's manager, claimed that such facilities
were necessary "if Ireland is to succeed in meeting our commitments
under the Kyoto Protocol". He claimed the proposed plant would
"displace up to 250,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per annum
from fossil fuels, provide green electricity for 40,000 houses
.... and biofuel to fuel 32,000 cars per year".
The company said that the plant was essential for the Irish
meat processing industry, which is currently obliged to export
waste for incineration.
Maurice Moloney of Coolmore Stud described the decision as
"a great result for common sense" and expressed "a heartfelt
thank-you" to "the people of south Tipperary". The decision
was also welcomed by local community activist group, South
Tipperary for Clean Industry. Spokesman Douglas Butler said
- "This refusal will protect the environment and our well-established
equine industry."
The proposal had been opposed by politicians of all parties
in Co Tipperary. Dr Martin Mansergh, a Fianna F�il TD for
the constituency, had told the hearing - "If we have to have
dirty industry in this country, then a better place needs
to be found for it, well away from human habitation and acutely
environmentally sensitive activities."
Source - The Irish Times
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