24/4052
Permission for the following works at a former quarry and licensed metal recycling site: 1) New building containing a waste transfer and recycling facility for construction & demolition waste, 2) External waste processing and concrete crushing area to remove steel, etc. prior to removal offsite to an authorised facility, or put to beneficial use in accordance with Regulation 28 of the European Union (Waste Directive) Regulations 2011-2020 and applicable guidelines including the National End-of-Waste Decision EoW-N001/2023, 3) Repair works to existing shed for storage use, 4) Works to existing embankments with low retaining walls, 5) New building containing office with ancillary staff facilities and adjacent weighbridge, 6) New sewerage system to serve office building, 7) Site entrance upgrade & improvements works including the provision of new entrance gates, 8) Formation of a new berm and swale around southern perimeter of site, 9) All onsite drainage works including rainwater attenuation pond and 10) Supplementary landscaping to site boundaries, 11) All ancillary site development and associated works. A Natura Impact Statement will be submitted to the planning authority with this application.
Core Refusal Reason
The proposal is located in an unsuitable rural area for industrial use and involves works to an unauthorized development, which would set an undesirable precedent.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed development is not situated in an optimal location and would seriously injure the amenities of the rural area, failing to meet objectives for industrial development to be located in primary industrial zones.
- The proposal is non-compliant with Cork County Development Plan 2022 objectives EC 8-14 (Business Development in Rural Areas) and ZU 18-16 (Industrial Areas).
- The Planning Authority is precluded from granting permission as the existing development on-site is deemed unauthorized, and the proposal would facilitate the intensification of this unauthorized use.