Green light for end-of-life recovery facility

PERSISTENCE has eventually paid off for the developer of a proposed end-of-life recovery facility at Leitrim, Bridgetown.
Plans for the retention of a commercial development about 5km north-west of Bridgetown were refused by Clare County Council, following an objection signed by 39 residents in November 2010.
However, the local planning department has now given John Joe Fitzpatrick, c/o Barnes Murray De Bhail, The Old Forge, Inishannon, Cork, the green light for a second revised planning application for a similar development.
Mr Fitzpatrick had sought planning approval to retain the commercial/industrial use of land as an end-of-life vehicle recovery facility, a commercial/industrial building, the retention of a concrete hardstanding and associated screen walling, two portocabins, on-site parking, one weighbridge and all other ancillary works, which he claimed had been in place for over 30 years.
This development has now been given the go-ahead, subject to nine conditions, including a provision for the payment of €2,861 to the council in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting the development.
Within three months of the date of the final grant of retention permission, all waste and debris not associated with the use of this site as an ELV facility has to be removed off site to an approved recycling facility. No accumulation of waste material, debris, derelict vehicles or plant machinery or equipment will be permitted on the site.
It can only operate between the hours of 9am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Any oil tanks kept on site have to be bunded to 110% of its effective volume to avoid environmental pollution in the interests of amenity.
The sale of any goods, parts, materials or recovered waste products directly from the subject site is not permitted, while all waste products recovered from vehicles at the facility have to be collected by licensed waste disposal companies only. A fire safety certificate and a disability access certificate will be required for the development.
According to a planning report, on entering the site at the southern access, there are two portocabins located adjacent to the southern boundary of the site. “A large pile of old tyres and a waste skip are located at the western part of the site. There are old cars, trucks, lorries, vans, diggers, two mobile homes and general car waste and debris scattered throughout the area of the site.
“There were also a number of skips full of waste. There is a weighbridge and a portocabin at the north-eastern section of the site and some canisters beside this, as well as a hard-standing concrete area. In general, this site is in poor condition with car waste and old vehicles left scattered throughout the site. There was no visible drainage arrangement and ponding was evident,” the report stated.
A report from the council’s waste enforcement section disagreed with a claim made in planning documents that works have been in place on this site for 30 years, citing evidence and photographs from site inspections in recent years that disputed this.
“This site came to the attention of the council’s waste enforcement section in November 2006, when it was being used for the deposition of construction and demolition waste. At that time, end-of-life vehicle dismantling/recovery operations were not being carried out,” the report outlined.
The applicant’s consultants have stated the facility would accept between 600 and 1,000 end-of-life vehicles annually. Taking an average of 800 ELVs, this equates to 16.66 vehicles per week. Typical vehicle transport lorries can carry five non-crushed vehicles; therefore only one delivery will be required per day to bring the site to its anticipated operating capacity.
The facility will employ only three people. In light of the small number of employees and the associated limited requirement for toilet facilities, the consultants argued that a Portaloo was the most cost-effective and sustainable solution for the site.