Decision made on major plans to develop old quarry in Kilkenny
A decision has been made by Kilkenny County Council
Canview Limited have been refused planning permission for the development of a recreational and amenity park at the former Johnstown Quarry, Ballycuddihy, Johnstown, County Kilkenny.
Development was planned of a nature trail, adventure trail with observation decks / viewing shelters, climbing paths, and a playground, alongside the construction of a single storey coffee dock with external seating area and public toilet.
Also included in the plans, amongst other items, was the provision of a carpark, coach parking, bicycle shelters, provision of a waste water treatment plant with percolation area and a single storey maintenance building with service yard.
In their rationale for refusing permission, the Planning Authority considered ‘that the development as proposed would, by virtue of its location removed from any settlement, lead to the generation of an unsustainable pattern of transport and would not be a sustainable form of development for this rural area’.
According to Kilkenny County Council, the applicant also ‘failed to demonstrate that the proposed development would not be prejudicial to public health and to the environment’.
Having regard for the anticipated traffic volumes associated with the construction phase and the potential impacts on the local road network and road users over a three-year period, the local authority stated that development would place ‘an unacceptable burden’ on local residents in terms of traffic movements, particularly by HGVs during the construction period, which would impact the residential amenity and ‘be prejudicial to traffic safety of this rural area’.
As well as raising further road and traffic concerns, the local authority stated that the applicant also ‘failed to demonstrate that the proposed development would not have an adverse impact on the ecology of the area’.
Furthermore, the local authority claimed that ‘the existing entrance to the site is not in accordance with permission granted ref. 19/862, and the proposed development would result in the intensification on the site of an unauthorised development’.
The applicant retains the right to appeal the decision made by Kilkenny County Council to An Bord Pleanála.