23556
the importation of material to in-fill 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 Site being used as agricultural pastureland. The applicant proposes, subject to planning, to import clean greenfield soil and stone to remediate approximately 2.43ha of the total site. The 2.43ha. is divided into 3 distinct phases - Phase 1 is 0.78ha, Phase 2 is 0.77ha and Phase 3 is 0.88ha. A fill plan has been drawn up for the importation of 18,200tonnes to fill Phase 1, 23,085tonnes to fill Phase 2, and 42,721tonnes to fill Phase 3, equating to a total of 84,006tonnes of soil and stone. Permission is being sought for a 5-year period and will be subject to a waste facility permit
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development was refused due to the inadequacy of the local road network to safely accommodate HGV traffic, a lack of demonstrated need for the infilling works, and the potential for significant adverse impacts on the local landscape, ecology, and residential amenity.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The road network serving the site is deficient in width, alignment, and structural condition, and the proposed entrance lacks adequate sightlines, posing a significant risk to public safety.
- The applicant failed to justify the need for the works or provide sufficient assessments regarding the impact on surface water quality and the residential amenity of neighboring properties in terms of noise and dust.
- The scale of the infilling would unnecessarily alter the natural landform and topography, resulting in a detrimental impact on the local flora, fauna, and groundwater, contrary to the Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028.