Local Residents opposed to reopening of Ballykelly Quarry
Resumption of works at Ballykelly Quarry a possibility as local opposition gets organised
There is growing concern among communities in South Kildare that a recently submitted planning proposal made directly to An Bord Pleanála could pave the way for the resumption of major excavation works at the defunct Ballykelly quarry. The group has set up an opposition lobby that has already garnered nearly a thousand signatures at the time of going to press.
A spokesperson for a group of concerned residents, Mr Brendan Byrne, stated, “We are extremely concerned by the high probability that the application to An Bord Pleanála for ‘Substitute Consent’ could be used to justify future reactivation of quarrying activity. If ‘Substitute Consent’ applied concurrently with a restoration plan is granted, it would retroactively legalise the previously unauthorised development. This then paves the way to reopen the quarry with a new planning application under the guise of “resuming an established use.”
The group is highly concerned that access to the Barrow Blueway could be under threat if the developers, Bison Quarries, get the green light. They are also worried that historical blasting issues, which damaged houses and depleted drinking wells, will reemerge on a much larger scale.
Local journalist, Mary Fanning said, “Natural amenities, such as the Barrow Blueway, Umeras Peatlands Park, the Church of the Oak distillery and our many beloved scenic walkways, could face the risk of irreversible damage if there is massive quarry expansion. The potential negative implications for biodiversity, ecological succession, and habitat restoration are stark.”
The opposition group mounted a petition signing against the plans at Earleys fashion Shop in Monasterevin, Jacinta’s hairdressers and online. The online petition was signed by over 500 people in a day and a half and is gaining huge momentum.
Locals are very concerned that public health is at risk as quarries are known for releasing dust and pollutants into the air and water systems. This could lead to respiratory problems among residents. Studies have shown that communities near large quarries are at a higher risk of health complications due to the presence of airborne particles. Local people are also becoming increasingly concerned about the risks to general road safety and the inevitable damage to rural roadways caused by the intense haulage activity associated with quarry excavation. The resumption of industrial-scale haulage by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) has the potential to be catastrophic for road surfaces and rural access routes.
“We could potentially see hundreds of HGVs travelling on these access routes daily from communities as far as Cherryville, Ellistown, Mount Prospect, Mountrice, Lackagh, Clondown, Ballykelly, and Monasterevin town via the Rathangan Rd, Portarlington Rd, and beyond.” Mr Byrne warned.
He continued, “The people of this community and the surrounding areas have been forced to live under a cloud of uncertainty since this application was lodged by a developer who has zero ties to the local area but seeks to impose significant disruption to our daily lives. Many of us have spent recent days and weeks handing out leaflets, gathering signatures, submitting objections to An Bord Pleanala and meeting our TDs and Cllrs. Public Awareness is increasing every day as local people come out in force to support the cause.”
Our tranquil green spaces, thriving biodiversity, roadways, source of water and public health are at risk, and we must act now to preserve them. We are asking anyone who feels they may be affected by this to please add their name to the signatures gathered thus far and support our petition here:
The Spokesperson concluded: “We also have template objections we are happy to provide for people before the June 20th deadline. Should they wish to avail of the template submission, they can contact objecttoballykellyquarry@gmail.com.”