CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT WAREHOUSES
CONCERNS have been raised about the proposed construction of large warehouses, by the Great Northern Distillery to store whiskey, in a rural area of North Louth.
Residents in Kilcurry say they are worried about the proposed development, of initially six warehouses that will span 4,000sqm. each, on land that has been bought by the distillery. But John Teeling, from the Great Northern Distillery, has moved to reassured locals and has offered to meet residents once more to discuss the plans.
Sinn Féin president and TD for Louth Gerry Adams and Cllr Antóin Watters met recently with a group of concerned residents’ to see first-hand the location of the proposed development to build warehousing units to store and mature whiskey.
Mr Adams said: ‘ The proposal to build such a significant warehousing operation in such a rural setting is causing justifiable concerns amongst the local residents in Kilcurry.
‘Residents have come together in the village and feel strongly about the potential size, location, and environmental impact this may have on their community. I understand that a petition has also been started.
‘While we all welcome new industry and development in the county, it must at all times be mindful of local concerns and have input from the communities involved’.
And Cllr. Watters added: ‘Like many others, I cautiously welcomed the news of potential new industry in the area. However, the sheer scale and nature of the proposed development has given cause for understandable concern in a village setting.
‘ The local community and their concerns must be heard and taken on board by both Louth County Council and the proposed developer’.
Mr Teeling told the Argus how the plans were outlined at a public meeting in the area in April where ten consultants were on hand to deal with questions, which, the businessman said, mainly centred on the impact on the environment, traffic and any fire risk. He said: ‘We have always tried to be good neighbours where we do our business. As a result of the public meeting, we have made changes to the plans to reduce the visual impact of the warehouses by lowering the site, raising berms (mounds) and extending the landscaping.
‘We have included standards above European Fire Regulations including locating the warehouses twice the required distance from the site boundary.
‘We will continue to engage with Kilcurry residents and outline our final plans. We will work hard to get the support of the community’. He revealed how the company had looked at around 40 sites in Louth to locate the warehouses, six of which are planned for the first phase with six or seven more coming in the second phase. It is estimated that the total investment in the site could reach €24 million if the plans go ahead.
Mr Teeling said he believed the warehouses would be hidden from general view thanks to berms (mounds) and added that warehouses like this are often located in rural settings. There are a number at Cooley Distillery, formerly owned by Mr Teeling, and the current owners have a further three planned. It is estimated that because of the timescale needed to mature whiskey, the warehouses would attract ‘a maximum of three trucks a day’.
David Hynes, the director of the GND, wrote to the concerned residents’ group offering them an opportunity to meet with him to discuss their fears and concerns at a convenient time in the coming days.