Country Clean disappointed

Waste management company Country Clean has said it is disappointed by An Board Pleanála’s decision to refuse planning permission for a new facility in Little Island.

The Mallow-based company was granted conditional planning permission by Cork County Council earlier in the year for a state-of-the-art material recovery facility in Courtstown Industrial Estate.

However, following considerable push back from the local community, An Board Pleanála has refused final permission on a number of grounds.

In a statement released this week, the company said its disappointment was compounded by the fact that permission was granted by Cork County Council and approval was given from the board inspector.

“There is a serious lack of material recovery facilities in the Cork region to deal with the ever-growing population which is generating increased waste and recycling volumes in the region,” the statement read.

“We will await the formal notification and will access what options to take at that stage,” it added.

When conditional planning permission was first granted in February, County Clean told the Cork Independent it had carried out various extensive reports on the impacts on the environment, traffic and odour.

The company also stressed that the proposed site would be built to the highest standards, would come with stringent and strict environmental and health and safety rules, and would be governed by the EPA.

Welcoming An Board Pleanála’s decision was Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Pádraig O’Sullivan who has been working with the Little Island Community Association since Country Clean announced its plans in 2018.

The Little Island native said he was delighted to hear that the planning application had been refused and said it was a “huge relief” to the local community.

“I understand that the application has been refused on the grounds of proximity to future residential development, the scale of development on such a restricted site, and traffic and environmental concerns. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of the residents and businesses that have worked tirelessly on this issue,” he said.