Barnan waste facility decision delayed again

A shortage of Bord Pleanala board members has delayed a final decision on whether or not Guessford Ltd can handle municipal solid waste at a site at Barnan near Daingean. Offaly County Council refused planning permission for the project last September on the grounds that the local road network was not suitable for the additional traffic it would attract and would therefore endanger public safety. The planning application attracted over 90 submissions from concerned locals on a number of other issues in addition to the unsuitability of the local roads and following the council's refusal concerned residents from Kilclonfert referred the application to An Bord Pleanala hoping for a stronger refusal. However a shortage of board members at the planning authority means an original decision date has gone by along with little hope a decision will be reached in the short term. A Bord Pleanala spokesperson confirmed to the Offaly Independent this week that the organisation is having "temporary difficulties" and is down to just four board members. "Four would be way lower than operable," he said. He added that this local case "is affected" by the issue, which has led to a backlog of work for board members. According to the same spokesperson four new board members have just been announced, but they aren't due to arrive for duty until mid-May. "I wouldn't see this being decided in the next ten days," he said this week. Guessford Ltd originally looked for planning permission in February 2011. The company hoped for approval to include the handling and transfer of municipal solid waste and the operation of associated static and mobile machinery. Following further information being furnished to the council in August last, council planners decided to turn the proposal down in September. This refusal was appealed by locals in Kilclonfert to An Bord Pleanala last October, though the planning decision fell in their favour. A resident spokesperson at that time explained the group lodged the appeal as they felt the refusal could have been stronger and other important local concerns hadn't seemed to be given weight in the process.