211094
importation and insertion of excavation spoil comprising natural materials of clay, silt, sand, gravel or stone for the purposes of restoration of a previously extracted area to restore the site to a beneficial agricultural and ecological after use. The site compound will include, mobile portacabin office and welfare facilities, material inspection and quarantine area, weighbridge, wheelwash, fencing surrounding the site boundary. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be submitted to the planning authority with the planning application.
Core Refusal Reason
The application was refused due to significant traffic safety hazards, the requirement for a Waste Licence rather than Article 27 by-product status, and the potential classification of the project as Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID).
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The development would result in a serious traffic hazard due to inadequate sight lines at the R758/L8361 junction, unspecified passing bays along the haul route, and a failure to demonstrate sufficient legal interest in the lands required for necessary road improvements.
- The scale of the proposed infilling (540,000 tonnes) necessitates a Waste Licence under Waste Management legislation, and the applicant's reliance on Article 27 by-product status is deemed inappropriate for a site of this scale and environmental sensitivity adjacent to the Poulaphuca Reservoir.
- The proposal may constitute Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) under Section 37A of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as it involves waste recovery with a capacity for an annual intake greater than 100,000 tonnes, meaning the application should have been made directly to An Bord Pleanála.