Cork horse trainer may face huge bill to restore lagoon after landmark court ruling

The judge said the 'extraordinary six-year delay' on behalf of Cork County Council in bringing the case 'suggests an unacceptable level of official tolerance for continuing breaches of the environmental protection code, including the requirements of EU law.'

Five years ago, John Collins, who admitted putting tonnes of construction rubble into the wildlife lagoon to create practice gallops for his horses, was fined €50,000. File photo: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

A Cork horse trainer who was fined €50,000 for putting tonnes of construction rubble into a wildlife lagoon — turning it into a horse-track - could now face another huge bill to undo the work after a landmark High Court ruling.

Cork County Council had gone to court seeking the removal of the infill material part of the land reclamation works carried out by horse trainer and farmer John Collins as far back as 2014 in the Carrigtwohill area.