The controversial proposal by Uisce Éireann for a waste water treatment plant in Kilkee has been rejected by Clare County Council with the planning permission application receiving 140 public submissions, mainly due to the plant’s proximity to the popular Cliffs Walk.
Locally, this is relief amongst some townspeople with many welcoming the decision however, questions are being asked as to whether Uisce Éireann will appeal the decision to An Bord Plenála, or will they come up with a revised and more acceptable plan for the community.
Save Kilkee Cliff Walk group comprises 100-strong residents who are opposed to the location and the type of plant which was proposed.
Their spokesperson, Martin Busher told The Clare Champion while they are happy with the planning outcome, they are disappointed overall and don’t see it as a win. Instead they see it as a failure of the system, a lost opportunity for Kilkee, and the fact remains that they are still waiting for a sewerage facility three decades years on.
“We see it as a failure of Clare County Council not to come to Uisce Éireann to say ‘we need a tertiary plant’…If Uisce Éireann are really genuinely interested in coming up with a solution, and we are, they won’t go and appeal to An Bord Pleanála. The will come and meet with the community and speak with the Environmental Protection Agency.”
Kilkee was promised a waste water treatment facility 30 years ago by Clare County Council who had responsibility for it at the time.
Following Uisce Éireann’s arrival, the plant proposed became a primary one and at Dunlickey Road adjacent to the Cliffs Walk. Save Kilkee Cliff Walk has done its research, and has suggested the Lisdeen Recycling Centre, the site of the former Kilkee dump as a location, which is Council owned.
“Dunlickey Road is completely the wrong location. They proposed a primary treatment plant but it is completely unsuitable. Intrinsic Bay is only 500 metres from our Diamond Rocks and Pollock Holes and the wrong tidal conditions could mean a possible health hazard for people swimming there…Where Uisce Éireann were proposing to extract their affluent, there is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) there,” said Mr Busher.
“And this will destroy our Cliffs Walk – it was recently named on Trip Advisor as having the highest number of excellent reviews of any attraction in Ireland. If Kilkee loses its beach or Cliffs Walk we have nothing – we depend on them both for our tourism.
“We care about Kilkee and we constantly said right from the beginning that we would engage with Clare County Council and Uisce Éireann engineers.”
The group has always campaigned for a tertiary treatment plant at Lisdeen and will continue to do so into the future.
The advantage of a tertiary plant is it filters out the solid material through a biodegradable process thereby improving water quality and protecting aquatic life.
It removes the non-biodegradable particles and they are the ones that can do the utmost damage to the water.
Another interesting aspect Mr Busher highlighted is the potential involvement of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
“An issue we also see as very important is that the EPA is left out,” he said.
“The local authority will give Uisce Éireann a licence to operate however, they should be involved from the start. It seems sort of backwards to me. Uisce Éireann should be involved and from the start and they get a licence on these terms. Uisce Éireann employs companies to do impact statements for them and what they do is snapshots. It is the EPA that should be doing that for them.”
Asked what they expect will happen now and how the water utility will react, he said, “I think they would be foolish to appeal it being refused; it would be a waste of taxpayers money. I hope that Clare County Council now listen to our Kilkee residents group, and Uisce Éireann sit down with the community and the Council.” Having only received news of the refusal last week, the group has not yet had the opportunity to put anything to the Council however, they intend to write to both the Council and Uisce Éireann in due course.
Sharon Dolan D’Arcy covers West Clare news. After completing a masters in journalism at University of Galway, Sharon worked as a court reporter at the Sligo Weekender. She was also editor of the Athenry News and Views.