A proposal by Irish Cement to build a chimney stack 125 metres (400ft) high as part of an extension to its plant at Platin, Co Meath, which is adjacent to the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage site, has been described as "a large-scale assault on the heritage of the Boyne Valley," by a cross-Border heritage group.
The Battle for the Boyne group said it was "dismayed" at the planning application proposals lodged with Meath County Council.
The plans include the "provision of a limestone store, transport conveyors and transfer station, raw mill building, raw materials store, preheater tower and stack, kiln and filter grate cooler and filter, coal mill building, clinker storage silo and cement mill building.
The development will also include miscellaneous buildings, structures and services. Irish Cement is part of Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) group.
The plant is adjacent to where Indaver Ireland is building a municipal waste incinerator, a development the group also objected to.
A group spokesman said the proposed expansion of the plant was a threat to important heritage sites of the Boyne Valley including Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The plans will increase the annual capacity of the plant from about 2 million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes.
The closing date for submissions or objections is this Thursday. The group suggested the timing of the application in the run-up to Christmas was inopportune for community representatives and others concerned with the development to respond.
The council is expected to make its decision by January 21st.