Limerick County Council stated yesterday it was taking steps to close down a quarry operating without planning permission and which An Bord Pleanβla claims is seriously injuring the amenities of the Limerick village of Ballingarry.
The council's move follows the appeals board refusing an application for planning retention from O'Kelly Brothers Civil Engineering Co Ltd, Limerick, to operate the quarry 500 metres from the village.
Outlining its opposition to the quarry, the Ballingarry Community Council told An Bord Pleanβla that noise echoes from the quarry works, dust regularly descends on the village. It also claimed the landscape is being visually scarred creating serious damage to the environment.
A spokesman for the council's planning department said it is writing to the company to request it to cease operations and to comply with the board's decision.
The spokesman said that if the company did not comply with the notice, the council would be forced to bring the matter before Limerick Circuit Court. He said it was the only known case of a quarry operating without planning permission in the county.
It is now a year since the council refused planning retention for the operation. The decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanβla by the O'Kellys. However, the board has upheld the council's decision.
It ruled that through noise and nuisance generated by the operations of the quarry, it would seriously injure the amenities of Ballingarry, adding that the quarry "contravenes materially the planning authority's objective to develop the village in accordance with the principle of sustainable development as outlined in the County Development Plan".
The board also ruled that "the proposed development would therefore depreciate the value of property in the area and would accordingly be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area".
A spokesman for O'Kelly Brothers was yesterday unavailable for comment.
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