Council refuses plans for new dump at Tara
Meath County Council has refused a planning application for a second dump near the historical Tara site in Meath. The planning application by JMP Construction Ltd of Philpotstown, Garlow Cross was for a construction- and demolition-waste recycling facility just 1,500m (4,900ft) from the Hill of Tara.
MCC refused the application on 5 September. There had been objections to the application by archaeologists. Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, lecturer in Celtic Studies at NUI Maynooth and campaigner against the route of the M3, said the site "is in the heart of the Gabhra valley between the two hills of Tara and Skryne that constitutes Tara's heartland", and that the area was of the highest archaeological significance and sensitivity.
JMP Construction already has a landfill and waste facility in the area. They were granted planning permission for the facility at the Blundelstown interchange near Tara in May 2004.
The council did not attach any archaeological conditions to the planning permission at the time and this raised concerns amongst archeologists as the facility is in an area of historical and archaeological importance. The existing facility covers 6.8 hectares of land.
Although archaeologists and campaigners have succeeded in the battle against the dump, they now face the challenge of preventing MCC adopting its draft development plan.
In May 2005, shortly after the Minister for Environment, Dick Roche, gave the go ahead for the Tara M3 motorway he said his office would meet with MCC regarding the new county development and "stress the need for the plan to contain objectives to protect the archaeology, amenities and setting of the Hill of Tara and of the surrounding area".
Despite these assurances the proposed draft county-development plan does not give security to the archaeology and history of Tara.
The plan says the Tara area is of "exceptional value and is of national importance", however, it does not go so far as to designate it an area of conservation and says "it will explore the possible designation of landscape conservation areas, if deemed necessary". At present, there is no date for a decision on the draft development plan.