Naas protests An Taisce's Cemex appeal
A computer generated image of what the old Cemex site in Naas might look like after its proposed re-development.
All seven councillors in Naas have agreed to ask An Taisce to remove its appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the planning permission recently granted to the Cemex site at the northern entrance to the town.
This was agreed after a suspension of standing orders at this week’s April meeting of the municipal district to allow members voice their opposition to this appeal.
The decision to develop this almost 20 year eyesore of a former cement plant was granted to Petrogas — the parent company of Applegreen — on 7 March as reported in these pages, however, within a month An Taisce, the Irish National Trust, chose to appeal this to An Bord Pleanála.
The €17m plan is to build a motorway services and distribution warehouse on the 1.49Ha (3.67a), to include Ireland’s largest EV charging hub, with 36 spaces.
All this on a site that has been empty since 2007, derelict since a fire gutted most of it in 2012, despite the parent company first applying to Kildare County Council (KCC) to re-develop for something similar in 2015.
This was granted in early 2016 but the company subsequently withdrew this application after an appeal against the €750,000 development levy failed at An Bord Pleanála, as Applegreen argued the levy should have been just €127,000.
Last June Petrogas applied again, and though were initially opposed by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), the council eventually granted the permission last month after only one request for further information.
“This is one of the worst appeals ever,” commented cllr Fintan Brett, a long-time campaigner to have the derelict site re-developed.
“They want a ‘landmark’ building at the entrance, and some sort of boutique hotel within, but it’s an industrial estate."
“It (Applegreen’s plan) went with the County Development Plan (CDP), zoning, the masterplan for the Maudlin’s area, there was even a traffic count, and 400 jobs!” said cllr Brett.
“Even TII (Transport Ireland Infrastructure) who have responsibility for the site didn’t see any point to object to it, because they were involved in the (Maudlin’s) masterplan and the traffic count,” he said.
He said: “I only found out about it the morning of the MD meeting [Tuesday] so we suspended the standing orders and I tore at them."
“The MD (Municipal District) has agreed to write to An Taisce to ask them to withdraw its objection,” he confirmed.
“Why don’t they do it easily?” He was joined in his criticism by fellow campaigner Cllr Bill Clear.
“Kildare’s biggest derelict site is at risk with this appeal,” he said.
“As a member of An Taisce I am disappointed and angered that they has objected on several grounds, many of which seem out of touch with the realities on the ground,” he said.
“They claim that the proposal creates car dependency, yet the site’s proximity to the M7 motorway and the inclusion of a greenway corridor addresses both vehicular and non-vehicular needs. They argue it conflicts with sustainable transport policies, even though it integrates seamless greenway access, encourages cycling, and would fund further greenway expansion”.
