Invasive plant cited in Ardcavan planning appeal
The presence of Japanese Knotweed on land in Ardcavan is at the centre of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against a Wexford County Council decision to grant planning permission for the building of a light industrial unit on the site.
JA Boland and Sons were given the go-ahead to build the unit along with an extension to an internal access road but the development is now the subject of an appeal by a neighbouring resident who made a submission to the Council expressing concern about the clearing and re-growth of the dangerously invasive species of plant which is prevalent in many areas of Wexford.
Planning executive Liam Bowe who deal with the Council application, noted the presence of Fallopia Japonica (Japanese Knotwee) on the site and given the extent, location and nature of the plant, he recommended that the applicant be required to prepare a management plan for its control before work commenced on the project.
Otherwise, he concluded that the principle of the development and the use of the site in a commercial mixed-use zone was well established and was acceptable to the planning authority. It is already the location of a commercial vehicle testing ( VTN) centre.
In granting permission, the Council made it a condition that the developer be required to submit, for written agreement with the planning authority, details of a five-year programme for the control and monitoring of Japanese Knotweed on the site in the interest of protecting the environment and preventing the spread of an invasive species. The proposed development is now in the hands of An Bord Pleanála after an appeal was lodged on July 7 by the concerned resident who has also raised concerns about Natura 2000 sites, damage to residential amenity in the area and the purpose of the development.