Plan for ‘ honey house’ rejected

A landowner has appealed a decision by Sligo County Council not to allow him permission to build a ‘ honey house’ for the extraction and storage of honey at Breeoge, Knocknahur. The council refused planning for the venture on June 30th which had been submitted by Kieran McDonagh of Drumiskabole, Ballisodare who has now appealed to An Bord Pleanala with a decision due in November.

The council stated that commercial development should be discouraged in such areas in the interests of sustainable development, the preservation of of the rual environment and to avoid an uneconomic demand for the provision of public services and facilities. It was also considered that there wasn’t an established need for such a development at this site and would set a precedent for further such commercial development at such locations.

There had been several . previous planning applications to build a house on the site, all refused. An objection to the honey house was submitted to the council on behalf of Breeoge and Local Residents. Its submission states that they first objected to an application from Mr McDonagh in February 2005 after the demolition of a boundary wall along the public road at Breeoge in July 2004 and would continue to do so until the wall has been rebuilt on its foundation. They say the wall had formed an integral part of the local built heritage. In another submission, local Ena McLoughlin said it would seem questionable a honey house was economically viable given the location, local climate and the amount of hives proposed ( 30).