by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
AN Bord Pleanala has sensationally given the go
ahead for a controversial sewerage treatment plant
in Moville, apparently bringing to an end a 21-year
battle in the Foyleside town.
The news will come as a bitter pill to swallow for a
group of Carnagarve residents who have strongly
opposed Donegal County Council’s plans to pump
effluent into Lough Foyle for more than two decades.
An Bord Pleanala’s decision to grant planning
permission comes after years of hostilities between
the local Community for a Clean Estuary group and
Donegal County Council, culminating in a €278,000
two-day oral hearing in Redcastle Hotel in June
2009.
As part of the Donegal County Council development,
four pumping stations will also be sited at
Carrickarory, River Row, Carnagarve and Greencastle
Pier with the main treatment plant at Carnagarve
also. A pumping station at Glenburnie was denied
planning permission on ‘amenity/environmental
protection grounds’.
A further €140,000 was spent on a tidal modelling
process which Inishowen’s county councillors and
Carnagarve residents rejected as ‘completely
flawed’.
A statement from An Bord Pleanala outlined the
planning authority’s position regarding the
controversial modelling system.
“Having regard to the modelling exercise carried out
in support of the application, the submissions of
the parties to the oral hearing (and further
submissions in writing to the Board) and to the
Inspector’s assessment, the Board was satisfied that
the dispersion modelling carried out by the
applicant provided a satisfactory basis for the
assessment of the impacts of the proposed discharge
on the water quality, ecology, aquaculture and
amenities of Lough Foyle.”
Reacting to local concerns about the pumping of
effluent into the Foyle estuary, ABP claimed that
water quality in the Foyle will actually be
improved.
“Impacts on water quality in Lough Foyle (including
ecology, aquaculture and amenity use) would be
acceptable and would represent a substantial
improvement on the current situation,” it said.
Hearing the news for the first time yesterday,
Moville councillor Martin Farren said a proper
sewerage treatment plant was long overdue for the
area.
“I welcome the fact that a decision has finally been
made on the provision of a sewerage scheme for the
Moville, Greencastle area which is long overdue. As
you may be aware there have been a lot of concerns
expressed about the manner in which the scheme was
progressed and I hope that lessons will be learnt
from this,” he said.
“In any event a decision has now been reached and
will be acted on by Donegal County Council, who will
have to raise the necessary finances to carry out
the scheme.” Cllr. Farren added.
Last November Inishowen’s county councillors called
for an independent inquiry into the whole process.
Speaking then, Martin Farren said he had ‘major
concerns’ while Padraig MacLochlainn (since elected
a TD) labelled the entire process ‘shameful’.
In the past six years Donegal County Council has
spent €1,112,000 on the Moville, Greencastle
sewerage treatment plant without laying a single
pipe.
A sum of €478,000 was spent on a preliminary report
and oral hearing last year while €341,000 was
required for an environmental impact assessment of
the area.
Chief spokesperson for Community for a Clean Estuary
Enda Craig was unavailable for comment yesterday but
it is widely expected that the group will appeal
yesterday’s controversial decision. |
