A local dispute

Upwards on 50 jobs in the haulage industry could be created in Co. Limerick if the local council gives the green light to a proposed limestone quarry in Ferrybridge near Kildimo. But opposition to the plan is mounting.

Limerick County Council is on the horns of a dilemma. Many of the quarries that traditionally serviced Limerick city and county are nearing the end of their productive life. With a large number of infrastructural projects planned for the city including the Shannon Tunnel and the Southern Ring Road, it has been estimated that an additional 2.5 tonnes of aggregates will be required over the next two or three to keep pace with demand in the region. However, opposition to the proposed quarry is mounting by the week. Local people say the company behind the proposed quarry just sees an opportunity to make money, regardless of the fact that they’re upsetting the way of life of a small agricultural community.

By May 3, the final date for the receipt of submissions on the planned quarry, Limerick County Council had received 316 objections. Many of the objections centre on the volume of HGV traffic that would be created on the N69 if the proposal gets the green light. It has been estimated that almost 300 extra truck movements would result every day on the N69. Residents are also up in arms over the spectre of noise from blasting, accidents, dust, damage to environmental and heritage sites in the area, and the fact that they’ll be losing one of the few hills in what is largely a flat landscape. Residents also want to know what will happen to the site when its reserves are exhausted after 15 years.

They claim that the developer hasn’t addressed any of these issues and that their houses could be devalued as a result.
The sheer size of proposed quarry, which would cover an area of 46.9 hectares, is also another cause for concern.
However, consultants White, Young and Green Environmental, who are acting on behalf of the developers, say that existing quarries in the Limerick area are coming close to the end of their working life and that the number of developments proposed for Limerick City in the coming years necessitates the quarry. The consultants also point out that impact studies have shown that some households would experience an increase in noise; the construction of embankments would mean reductions for others. The consultants also claim that that the Ferrybridge could cope with the trucks and that more than 80 jobs would be directly or indirectly created. The developer also promises to create an artificial lake on the quarry site once it’s closed.

However, the Ferrybridge Action Committee (FAC) says the local community will pay a heavy price over the next 15 years, if the quarry gets the go ahead. "The committee have the support of local politicians, TDs, senators and county councillors who have all attended our meetings and stood up and stated that they are behind our community,” spokesman Tom Fitzgerald stated. He added: "This is agricultural land and a rural community. This company is coming in because they’ve seen an opportunity to make serious money. This is a cold, calculated business decision. They have come down from Galway completely upsetting the way of life of the local community,” he continued.

Michael Cunningham, consultant engineer and managing director of White, Young and Green Environmental, defended developer John Kelly’s position. "The reason that a quarry of this size is required is due to the large number of infrastructural developments planned for Limerick in the next two or three years. The Southern Ring Road and the proposed Shannon Tunnel will require 2.5 million tonnes of aggregate in coming years.”
Cunningham says the amount of rock required for these developments couldn’t be taken through the city therefore the proposed site is most appropriate.

The biggest concern for the community is the extra traffic that the development would bring to the area. The residents have described the planned quarry as a nightmare situation and argue that the Ferrybridge won’t be able to cope with the extra traffic.
The consultant engineers have estimated that the quarry will create an extra 296 truck movements per day, dropping significantly after 2011 when most of the planned infrastructural projects are completed. Fitzgerald blasted: "I don’t believe the bridge can sustain that amount of traffic. Over the last few months it is being hit by vehicles on a continual basis. It stands to reason that the more vehicles that use the bridge, the more accidents that will occur.” But the consultants believe the bridge and junctions in the vicinity of the quarry will be able to handle the additional traffic.

"Our base line assessment for the area counted 9,500 vehicles in a 12 hour period. We used a computer model to predict the impact of traffic on both the bridge and the access road to the site. Our research found that both junctions will work well within their capacity after the site opens,” Cunningham stated.
On the issue of noise Cunningham argues that impact studies had been made and that some of the houses would actually note a reduction in sound pollution due to "burns or mounds of earth, which would surround the site.
He did however, concede that some households would also experience a rise, but stated that none of the increases would be above the relevant EPA standards.

Cunningham added that only 23 hectares of land would actually be quarried and that the developer did not intend to leave a gaping hole after the quarry closed saying it would be turned into an artificial lake.
He also said that 12 jobs would be generated during the construction period while another 20 people would be employed by the quarry directly. He added that as many as 50 jobs would also be created in the haulage industry.

Limerick County Council now has the onerous task of adjudicating on the planning application. If the council decides to refuse planning permission it seems likely that the developers could appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala.
Watch this space!