Charity lodge appeal after local planners approve infilling of former Longford quarry

An environmental charity have lodged an appeal against the infilling of a former quarry after the development was recently given the green light by planners.

Longford County Council approved planning permission on March 10 last.

The development was given ‘conditional’ approval once six conditions were complied with.

However, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has lodged a formal planning appeal against the local authority’s decision to allow the infilling of what the describe as ‘resulted former quarry’ at The Rocks, Derrycassan, opposite St Columba’s GAA grounds and the Derrycassan Woods Walk, near Lough Gowna.

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The FIE claimed the council has granted permission to ‘import 100,000 tonnes of soil, stone and construction and demolition waste over five years’ and to “reinstate” the quarry for agriculture, despite the site having naturally regenerated over four decades into wet willow woodland, scrub, wetland features and mature treelines that now support protected species”.

Tony Lowes, one of the Director of Friends of the Irish Environment, said, “The Council has only just adopted an ambitious Biodiversity Action Plan – and the first real test is to sign off the destruction of exactly the kind of semi‑natural habitat that Plan was written to save.

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