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for the importation of soil and stone material to infill and re-contour the subject site. Once the importation is complete, the applicant will seed the land in line with Teagasc guidelines and return it to agricultural use. The Operational Phase will see the 4.28 hectare site being used as pastureland for horses. The applicant proposes, subject to planning, to import clean greenfield soil and stone to remediate approximately 3.82 ha of the total site. The 3.82 ha is divided into four distinct areas - Phase Area 1 is 0.99 ha, Phase Area 2 is 1.40ha, Phase Area 3 is 1.11ha, and Phase Area 4 is 0.31ha. A plan has been drawn up for the importation of approximately 52,765.5 tonnes to fill Phase Area 1, 40,749 tonnes to fill Phase Area 2, 23,937 tonnes to fill Phase Area 3, and 4,551 tones to fill Phase Area 4, equating to a total of 122,002.5 tonnes. Permission is being sought for a 5- year period and will be subject to a waste facility permit
Core Refusal Reason
The proposal was refused due to significant road safety concerns regarding the new entrance, potential detrimental impacts on a recorded archaeological monument (KD025-001) on-site, and the failure to provide adequate information to screen out the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed development would create a traffic hazard and endanger public safety due to deficient sightlines and restricted road width at the new entrance onto the R410 regional road, contravening transport policies TM P6 and TM O95.
- The project would have a detrimental impact on the archaeological heritage of the area, specifically recorded monument KD025-001 (a ringfort-rath), due to the lack of an Archaeological Heritage Impact Assessment and the proposed infilling works.
- The application failed to provide sufficient information to adequately screen out the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), particularly regarding impacts on archaeological heritage and road safety, thus failing to comply with the EIA Directive and the County Development Plan.