Thurles May Become A Public Dump For Five Counties

It is numbered amongst the last Irish environmental treasures, which as yet, remains relatively free of unwanted interference by mankind,  instead remaining supervised solely by Mother Nature.  It is the home of the green-listed Grey Heron and feeding ground to the dwindling population of native Bumble Bees. Within its boundaries grow undisturbed, Bronze Fennel, Wavy Bitter-cress, Shepherds Purse, Golden-saxifrage, Common Mouse-ear, Barren Strawberry, and a huge variety of Wild Orchids.  Here also one can view numerous varieties of Dragon Fly, the rarely viewed Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Froghopper’s Cuckoo Spit, Juda’s Ear and a huge variety of sedges, grasses, reeds, animal and bird life habitats.

It is a place frequented by walkers, photographers, lovers, artists, and sometimes those with heavy hearts.  It is an amazing area for inquisitive children in search of knowledge, where Mother Nature hands to teachers a clean blank blackboard, with which to educate future generations. I speak of course of Cabragh Wetlands.

However if either North Tipperary Planning (Ref: 10510413) or An Board Pleanala (Ref: PL22.238800) and their elected officials kowtow to business and personal political interests, and as we have seen recently in the case of Two Mile Borris, they go against the advice of their own planning inspectorate, then this rare environmental treasure, will slowly become a disease infected wasteland.

In an article published on this site in April of this year, we highlighted that a proposed Thurles Recycling Centre, was to be located at the old Thurles Sugar Factory site, in Cabragh and had been given the ‘green light,’ after planning permission was granted for the facility by North Tipperary County Council. This decision was subsequently and justifiably appealed by local angry residents, to an Bord Pleanala.

After much delay O’Dwyer Skip Hire Ltd, (T/A Envirobin) have replied to An Board Pleanala’s request of August last, for further planning information. I am reliably informed that An Board Pleanala has not been so generous regarding time constraints, to those objecting to this project, allowing them only 10 days for to prepare any future defence.

Drug dealers, murderers and other major criminals, in this country, can apply successfully for free legal aid / funding, to defend in many cases the indefensible. However persons attempting to protect their local environment against outside events, in this case Cabragh/Ballycurrane Residents Association, must fund their own defence against events totally foisted on them.

While I totally support the theory of Waste Management and the building of Waste Transfer Stations, the erection of such a facility in a rural town, in the centre of a populated residential area, within metres of the River Suir, latter which crosses county Tipperary from north to south, and close to a National Heritage Site, defies all logical reasoning.

Both those funding this venture and those elected representatives responsible for directing North Tipperary’s Planning also display total disregard for all persons living in this area. With the drop in house prices all residents have already lost 5o%, at least on the values of their homes as at the date of purchase. If this venture succeeds, residential housing in the immediate area will remain unsellable in the future.

Politicians of all political persuasions have failed in their duty of care to Thurles, a duty they need reminding, which was bestowed on them by a local trusting electorate.

Residents of Thurles, your support is now needed to defend us against those with greedy private interests, who are intent on introducing ‘Dirty Industry,’ into our town, in the name of ‘Job Creation.’

Silence is no longer an option for all Thurles residents, so do please express your views by commenting either on this site or by contacting the following elected representatives:-

Michael Lowry T.D. Abbey Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Telephone: 0504 – 22022 – Email:  michael.lowry@oireachtas.ie

Noel Coonan T.D. Bank Street, Templemore, Co Tipperary. Telephone: 0504 – 32544 – Email: noel.coonan@oir.ie

Alan Kelly T. D. No 1 Summerhill, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary: Telephone: 067 – 34190 – Email: office@alankelly.ie

Mayor Councillor Micheal Lowry, Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh, Tipperary: Telephone: 067 – 44500 – Email: secretary@northtippcoco.ie

Do of course request them to clarify, in writing, if or not, they continue to hold any financial or other interest in O’Dwyer Skip Hire Ltd, (T/A Envirobin) or subsidiaries of this company. Remind all County Councillors, you may bump into, of their own Mission Statement “We commit ourselves, in partnership with all stakeholders, to improve the quality of the economic, social and cultural life of our communities.”

We need no reminder and have learned, through expensive past lessons, one cannot ever again be sure of loyalties expressed by our public representatives, especially where finances are concerned.

It is pointless writing to Local Councillors, firstly you will not get a reply and secondly, as local representatives they have little or no power to influence such proceedings.