Cam Quarry Curry & Cloonacaltry Townlands, Brideswell, Co. Roscommon, Roscommon
Cam Quarry Curry & Cloonacaltry Townlands, Brideswell, Co. Roscommon
Permission for development consisting of: 1. Permission for continued use of the existing quarry development currently permitted by P. Ref. 04/1479 and ABP PL20.215417 for a further period of 25 years, within an application area of c. 66.3 hectares, with an extraction area of c. 17.1 hectares and permanent overburden storage area of c. 3.9 hectares; 2. Permission for continued use of the permitted facilities consisting of: ESB substation (26m²), portacabin office facilities including canteen and washroom facilities (91m²), bunded fuel storage, vehicle circulation/access including wheelwash and weighbridge, settlement tanks/hydrocarbon interceptors for treatment of water, construction of overburden and screening mounds, all other associated site works and ancillary activities; 3. Permission for continued extraction of limestone using conventional blasting techniques and processing of rock using crushing and screening plant; 4. Upgrade of the existing WWTS and percolation area to new Secondary WWTS and constructed soil polishing filter area; 5. Provision of the permitted concrete block making facility and concrete batching plant, truck washdown facility with wash water recycled via a closed settlement tank system, the storage of aggregates; and workshop including storage room, canteen and washroom facilities (485m²) and 6. Restoration of the overall application site to a natural habitat including a permanent waterbody. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) have been prepared in respect of this planning application at
- The Planning Authority in consultation with Roscommon County Councils Environment Department is not satisfied based on submissions received that it has been satisfactorily evidenced that dewatering will not be required to facilitate the proposed development and that satisfactory proposals for and assessment of dewatering arrangements have been provided. It is considered therefore that based on the information submitted in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (as updated) and as identified in the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Planning Authority, a sufficient level of information and assessment has not been provided in relation to impacts on Water and Biodiversity (with particular attention to Habitats and Birds Directives).
- The site of the proposed development is potentially hydrologically connected to 7 no. designated European sites (listed below) for rare and threatened flora and fauna across the European Union (i.e. Natura 2000 network of sites), which are protected under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). The protection of these European sites is further reinforced in the 2022 – 2028 Roscommon County Development Plan under Policy Objectives NH10.8, NH 10.9 and ED 6.18. Based on the deficiency in information included with the planning application including, inter alia, the absence of detailed evidence to substantiate that dewatering is not required to facilitate the proposed development and/or detailed proposals to manage dewatering in the quarry, and the concerns identified by the Planning Authority in relation to the robustness of the mitigation measures proposed, deficiencies in the information contained in the NIS concerning potential impacts of the project on qualifying interests of the European Sites, the Planning Authority in conjunction with the application of the precautionary principle, consider that adverse effects on the integrity and conservation objectives of the European sites in the vicinity, cannot be ruled out, as a result of the proposed project. Therefore, the Planning Authority is not satisfied that the development, if permitted, would not potentially adversely affect the integrity of Lough Croan Turlough SAC (site code 000610), Castlesampson Esker SAC (site code 001625), Four Roads Turlough (site code 001637), Lisduff Turlough (site code 000609), Lough Croan Turlough SPA (site code 004139), River Suck Callows SPA (site code 004097) and Four Roads Turlough SPA (site code 004140), having regard to their conservation objectives. Therefore, if permitted, the proposed development would be contrary to the above referenced policy objectives contained in the current Roscommon County Development Plan, and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.