Construction waste facility approved along Co Kerry 'dump road'

The site will be infilled to raise it up to road level

The site will process between 10,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste each year.

A Kerry waste management company has been granted permission to develop an infill site in Nantinan, Killorglin, and subsequently to use it as a construction waste recycling facility.

Gerard Naughton & Sons Limited operate two inert waste recovery facilities in Co Kerry, one of which is 30 meters away from the new facility.

The ground work, plant hire and civil engineering company will pour 17,625 tonnes of waste soil and stone onto the site, raising it up to the level of the road beside it, the L4035.

When operational, the 1.49-hectare site, previously used as agricultural land, will sort, recycle and dispose of between 10,000 and 15,000 tonnes of inert material from building demolitions each year.

The planning application, submitted in January of this year, before extensive further information was requested in March, received two submissions from local residents who objected to the development.

They raised concerns about the development being on bogland and the potential for dumped material to enter the local stream where salmon spawning takes place. They also objected to the development on the basis that it would create noise pollution and reduce their ability to enjoy walking in the area safely.

"I have many happy days walking, cycling and working in the area and would like my son ... and future generations to enjoy the area as I have done – unspoilt by heavy vehicles, infilled bogland and unsuitable and inappropriate industrialisation," the objector wrote.

In a second letter, he said the laneway by which the site is accessed is already known locally as the "dump road."

Screening reports for an Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment and a Natura Impact Statement found the development was unlikely to cause significant effects on the environment if the development is managed well.

Kerry County Council approved the application in October with nine conditions, including environmental mitigation measures and a commitment not to pollute any waterways.