COUNCIL URGED TO STOP QUARRY PLAN

CALLS have been made for Wicklow County Council to step in and prevent Calary Quarry being developed for use by Roadstone as a site for depositing waste material.

The site is privately owned by Roadstone and is the subject of a planning application currently awaiting a decision by Wicklow County Council.

Local resident Albert Kerr made a presentation to the members seeking support for a plan to investigate acquisition of the land to turn it into an outdoor water sports amenity.

‘ This beautiful, scenic lake quarry covers about 12 acres and it is about 28 metres deep with clean, clear water. It has the potential to be an ideal all year round public recreational facility for all kinds of sporting and adventure activities,’ he said.

Mr Kerr said that such an amenity could attract visitors from all over the world and that a ‘number of companies, clubs and schools are interested in the possibility’.

He said that if the site was to re-open for quarry waste use, there would be 250,000 tonnes or more of material ‘dumped’ there every year for 20 years or more.

He also outlined that the lake has its own eco-system and that this plan ‘is a once in a lifetime opportunity’ for the community.

Mr Kerr called on Wicklow County Council to ‘prevent the destruction of this beautiful lake’ and ‘acquire Lake Calary for public use’.

Cllr Michael O’Connor described it as a ‘fantastic idea’ and urged the council to work with Mr Kerr to explore the possibilities and to ask Roadstone to look at the possibility of ‘ looking at putting the waste elsewhere’.

Cllr Joe Behan was also in favour of exploring options but reminded the chamber that there is live planning application on the site.

Cllr Chris Fox said that he would love to see an adventure centre in north Wicklow but said that the reality should be taken into account.

‘I live in close proximity to that site and the only issue of concern to the residents is the safety of it. That site is in private ownership and there is a planning application on it at present. Also, it is very commercially viable and there is a significant financial burden on it. To take on a site like that would cost millions and I fear this burden would be too much for the county council to bear,’ he said.

Cllr Jennifer Whitmore said that she would be happy to see the council work with Mr Kerr on the matter but added that she recognised what Cllr Fox said also.

‘We have to be realistic,’ added Cllr Steven Matthews, who said that it was a ‘great idea in principal’ but that the ‘reach of the council is restricted.’

Fellow Bray Councillor Pat Vance was of a similar view.

‘I have no problem with the concept and if a private company came in with funding I would be very supportive. The reality is that we do not own this land. There is planning permission sought on it and I doubt very much that Roadstone would want to hand it over. If we were to get involved we would be looking at multiples of millions. We would have to first know if Roadstone are prepared to sit down and talk and we need to know exactly how much money we are talking about,’ he said.