Public representatives 'will attend meeting'

All the public representatives contacted by those opposing the recently granted planning permission for a waste recycling facility close to several Kilcullen housing estates have promised to attend Thursday night's Town Meeting, writes Brian Byrne.

"We have spoken to them all, and they say they'll be there," says Ray de Courcy of Cnoc na Greine Woods, which backs on to the site at the Knockbounce Business Park where Kildare County Council recently granted planning permission for the facility.

And the organisers will be appealing to the residents of other parts of Kilcullen to support them, because they say this is a 'principle issue' which could allow other 'inappropriate' industries to be landed in the town.

A core part of their argument has been that Kildare County Council had a vested interest in granting the planning permission to the principals of Dolly Skip Hire, because the Council owns the site which the promoters would buy if they got the permission.

The planning documents show that there had been direct pre-planning discussions between the promoters and the Council as early as last August. The planning application was made in November 2011.

A large number of objections were made against the planning application, by residents and nearby businesses, which they now feel were ignored. They are appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanala.

The Town Meeting is in the Town Hall at 8pm on Thursday, open to all. 

(Previous stories on this issue are here.)