PLANS for the development of a pet crematorium in Ennis, which has the support of local vets, have been put on hold after an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
The appeal against the proposed development at an existing vacant unit at the Ennis Enterprise Centre in the Gort Road Industrial Estate has been lodged by a resident of County Meath, Don Weldon.
The development of the pet crematorium is proposed by Aimee and Danny Keller in response to what has been described as “a lack of this service” within the county and surroundings.
The nearest such facility is in Kerry, with the developers stating that the associated delay following the loss of a pet “can be very distressing” for owners.
Planning permission was granted to the Kellers by Clare County Council in September subject to eight conditions.
The local authority stated, “the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity and would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.
The appeal, submitted on Mr Weldon’s behalf by RW Nowlan & Associates, claims that the proposed new use for the site “is not compatible with its surrounding uses”.
It points out that there is national school located on adjoining land as well as highlighting its closeness to Cois na Abhna.
“The operation of a pet crematorium in such close proximity to this cultural centre is not deemed appropriate,” he states.
The appeal continues, “Overall it is considered that the sensitive receptors in the immediate vicinity to the subject site were not given due regard in the application documents and the compatibility of the proposed use with the surrounding uses should be reassessed.”
He claims that the applicants “have not gone far enough” with their environmental assessment “given the highly sensitive use they are proposing”.
Concerns over the impact on traffic have also been raised with the appeal questioning whether the existing industrial estate could accommodate the parking requirements of the business.
He describes the parking system as “ad hoc” with Clare County Council planners assessing the original application observing a number of abandoned cars close to the unit.
“The existing ad hoc system would inevitably result in parking issues whereby visitors may have to park away from the entrance and move dead animals through the industrial estate to the unit.
“Given the nature of the use and the sensitive uses nearby, a school and community centre, this requires further assessment and a definitive resolution prior to decision on the application,” the appeal states.
“Our client has serious reservations in relation to the proposed development in terms of the proposed use in this location, environmental impact and traffic impact of this proposal.
“If the development was to go ahead as granted by Clare County Council, the serious concerns of our client outlined in this appeal report would remain unresolved with unknown consequences in terms of environmental impact and the long-term sustainability of the proposed new use in this location.
“We request that the decision of Clare County Council is overturned to refuse planning permission so that further evaluation can be undertaken by the applican’t ensure overall compliance of the proposed crematorium in this location,” it concludes.
According to a document lodged with the initial planning authority on behalf of the applicants there is currently no such service in the county, with only five in the Republic of Ireland.
“The proposed service will be ideally suited in the Mid-West where there is significant latent demand for such a facility,” the application stated.
The planning document outlined, “The proposed development is of a very modest scale, located within the most appropriate location for the nature of the proposed development i.e. within an existing well established Gort Road Industrial Estate which would not give rise to unacceptable emissions or discharge.
“The proposed development will not impact negatively on existing adjoining uses which are also included within the existing industrial estate.”
The developers carried out what they describe as “robust” environmental assessments which concluded the proposed development “will not have an unacceptable impact on the receiving environment”.
A list of veterinary clinics in Clare and Limerick willing to support the plans were provided to the planning authority alongside a number of letters of support.
Among them, Jerry O’Connor and Dr Niamh Morrissey of O’Connor’s Veterinary Surgery on the Quin Road stated, “As owners of a busy veterinary practice in Ennis we feel this would provide a very much needed service for the pet owners of this region.
“In our experience pets are seen by most owners as family members, and the loss of a beloved pet can cause significant distress and angst.
“We have found that cremation is a popular option amongst our clients who wish to respectfully handle the remains of their deceased pets.”
Vet Eugene Judge stated “I would be supportive of their initiative and would also feel that this service would be of benefit and convenient for the county”.
The Shannonside Veterinary Group agreed that the proposal “would be of benefit to the vets in the Clare area”.
Harvey’s Veterinary of Kilrush and Kildysart outlined, “A pet crematorium service is a vital aspect of any veterinary practice. A service in which we use on a daily basis.
“Since there is no pet crematorium service in County Clare we use the closest company which is based in County Kerry and they would travel to our clinics in Kilrush and Kildysart on a weekly or fortnightly basis.”
John Garrahy stated his belief there is “a significant opportunity” for a pet crematorium in the Limerick/Clare area.
A ruling on the appeal by An Bord Pleanála is expected by mid-April.