Presence of dolphins stops further blasting at quarry

THE intensification of use of a contentious quarry would fail to protect the tourism and amenity resources of west Clare, An Bord Pleanála said.

In its decision to refuse planning permission to Joseph, Daniel and Martin O’Gorman to carry out 15 blasts each year and the use of mobile crushing and screening plant within an existing quarry at Aylevarroo, Ballynote West, Kilrush, the board cited the presence of bottlenose dolphins in the Shannon estuary.

Last year, Clare County Council refused planning permission after widespread opposition from local residents.

The appeal lodged by the three to An Bord Pleanála claimed that the council has used blasting techniques at the quarry in the past to extract stone from the quarry.

An Bord Pleanála said: “The quarry is located in a scenic, sensitive coastal location designated as a vulnerable landscape in the Clare County Development Plan 2005 and the public road serving the existing/proposed development is a designated scenic route in the said plan.

“A bathing area lies adjacent and the road is used for recreational walks. The adjacent River Shannon Estuary is located in a designated ‘Special Area of Conservation’ hosting a population of bottlenose dolphins, among other species. It is considered that the proposed development as applied for would result in a significant intensification of quarrying and associated activities, and that this intensification, by reason of noise, dust traffic and general disturbance, would be detrimental to the protection of the scenic and general amenities of the area and fail to protect the tourism and amenity resources of the area.”