Three objections lodged to date against massive Chinatown plan
by Karen Downey Updated: Wednesday, 4th January, 2012 5:30pm
Three objections to the plans for the European China Trading Hub at Creggan, Athlone, have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála, with the closing date for submissions being Monday next, January 9.
Athlone Business Park Ltd received the go ahead for phase one of the project from Westmeath County Council on December 2. An Bord Pleanála has, to date, received three submissions objecting to the grant of planning permission.
Dermot and Mary Murray, Michael Moore Car Sales and Sarah Casserly have lodged objections with the planning board, citing a number of reasons why they believe the development should not go ahead.
Dermot and Mary Murray from Clonbonny stated that the proposed development would be located on land immediately west of their family home.
One of their main reasons for objecting to the development is that their youngest son Dylan was diagnosed with acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in October 2010 and has been undergoing intensive treatment in Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin.
They say he has reacted positively to the treatment so far and they believe this is, in part, due to the quiet rural environment where they live.
"We have been advised by our medical consultant that exposure to the pollution caused by a major construction project would be extremely dangerous for our son's health and may even prove fatal," their submission states.
They included a letter from their son's consultant Professor Owen Patrick Smith, which confirmed their son's condition and stated: "As you can appreciate with such a diagnosis, and the accompanying building debris etc, Dylan cannot be exposed to any work pollutants."
Other issues of concern to the Murrays included the fact that the proposed development would have a detrimental affect on the value of their home; traffic noise and pollution and their belief that the development would be totally out of character with the area.
In their submission, Dermot and Mary Murray said: "The conditions attached to the planning permission by Westmeath County Council require a very high degree of supervision by the local authority on an ongoing basis.
"Such a level of monitoring and ongoing supervision is beyond the resources of Westmeath County Council and would represent a challenge even to the much larger local authority. In the absence of supervision it would be impossible to ensure ongoing compliance with these conditions."
They add that the development site is not located close to an international airport, which would be crucial if the purpose of the development is to provide a display venue for Chinese companies to meet European buyers, which they say appears to be the concept of the trading hub.
They state: "Surely such a development should be located close to an international airport and port as any other location requires unnecessary demands for transport links to the site?"
They add that the condition regarding the construction management plan, which has to be agreed with the local authority, does not include a requirement restricting the hours of construction work on site, adding: "This will permit nuisance to surrounding property owners as there will be no restriction on the hours of working on site."
Outlining that under condition 24, all foul effluent generated at the development will be collected and discharged to the existing Athlone main drainage system, their submission states: "The existing sewerage treatment works for Athlone can barely cope with the existing level of discharge and would not be adequate to deal with the increased loading from a large development of this type."
They also point out that Westmeath County Council has included a condition stating that the hub should not close before 7pm Monday to Friday and they believe this will inevitably cause noise and disruption at night and destroy the peaceful, rural character of the area.
Concluding their submission, Dermot and Mary Murray state: "It is our considered view that the prospect of such a large development within its functional area has blinded Westmeath County Council to the fact that the development is totally unsuitable to the area. While there are to be very substantial payments from the developers to the local authority under the conditions of the planning permission to improve services, we consider that the council is not taking a balanced view in relation to the proposed development. In purporting to grant permission the council is totally disregarding the interests of existing residents."
EMD Architects lodged an objection to the grant of planning permission on behalf of Michael Moore Car Sales Ltd, stating that the masterplan for the development indicates development on a landholding belonging to Michael Moore Car Sales.
The submission outlines: "On 4th May 2011, EMD Architects and Michael Moore (Car Sales) Ltd held a pre-planning meeting with Westmeath County Council to present our proposal for an Audi dealership on this site.
"Following this, on 11th May 2011, EMD Architects met with and presented our proposal for the new Audi dealership to the architects for ECTH. It was only at this stage that an anomaly between our intent and their proposal came to light."
The submission added the issue had been raised with the ECTH architects in November 2010 and EMD expected that the necessary adjustments would be made but the application was submitted unaltered.
The submission adds that the three-acre site was purchased by Michael Moore Car Sales in May 2008 from the applicants Aidan Kelly and Michael O'Sullivan for the sum of €4.5m.
"The express purpose of the purchase is that the site is to be developed, by my client, for expansion of their existing motor business. Indeed it is our client's intention to develop their site independently with a planning application due for submission within the next weeks," the submission from EMD Architects states.
The submission also outlines: "The sustainability of this proposal is not defined by the supporting documents. The source of the Foreign Direct Investment is not noted. The proposals for 'future proofing' the building design indicates a lack of intent with proposed use."
The final objection was submitted by Sarah Casserly of Creggan Upper, Dublin Road, Athlone, who states that while the proposed development will be great for the town of Athlone and will create jobs, she has concerns based on the proximity of her home to the proposed development.
Ms Casserly's submission states: "Overall the measures that will be in place to measure noise, dust and vibrations from the construction are inadequate (as per condition 13). I am the nearest residential property to the development and will suffer most during the construction phase."
She added that the development will create a huge increase in general traffic and heavy goods vehicles, both in the construction phase and once the development opens.
"My drive leads out onto the N62, this is an already very busy road, and with huge increases in traffic I feel turning in and out of my property will be extremely difficult at peak times," Ms Casserly's submission states.
She adds that she feels she will be the worst affected by noise and dust pollution as hers is the nearest residential property to the development and asks if it will be measured close to her house. An Bord Pleanála has acknowledged receipt of all three submissions, which are now available to view on the planning file at the civic centre in Athlone.
The closing date for submissions to An Bord Pleanála is Monday next, January 9.
Post a Comment