Council to decide on waste incinerator
Cork County council is facing a tough decision over whether to give the go-ahead to plans for a national waste incinerator.
More than 4,000 people have objected to a scheme for a national waste incinerator in county Cork.
Worried residents near Cork harbour have deluged the county council spelling out their fears about the proposals.
Plans have been submitted to build the incinerator at Ringaskiddy on the harbour.
But with growing public concern and increased political opposition the council is set to spend the next four months deciding whether to grant planning permission to the Belgian company Indaver.
Before Christmas the council’s general purposes committee recommended that councillors did not accept an invitation from Indaver to see its operations in Belgium.
Some members may now travel independently to view incineration facilities in a different European country.
The council planning department confirmed that more than 4,000 objections to Indaver’s planning application, which was submitted last November, had been received. A further 2,000 objections were expected.
It is understood that the one-month period, in which the council should give a response, was likely to be extended to four months.
Councillors were expected to make such an application while more information was sought about the plans and incineration in general.
But the council appeared to be in a catch 22 situation with both the company and the public expected to appeal to an Bord Pleanala if the decision goes against them.
