By 
ANGER erupted at a council meeting this week after a senior mining executive suggested councillors who could not set aside ‘perceptions’ should abstain from voting on exploratory drilling near Omagh.
The remarks were made by Ronan Conway, general manager of the Cavanacaw mining facility outside the town, during a debate at Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on plans by Flintridge Resources to drill three exploratory boreholes close to its existing site.
The council ultimately agreed to issue a ‘no direction’ on the proposal, allowing it to proceed under permitted development rights and be forwarded to Stormont.
A motion calling for the company to submit a full planning application was defeated following a vote.
However, Mr Conway’s comments during the discussion provoked an angry response from councillors across the chamber.
“I think perception is an issue and I would like to appeal to committee members to focus solely on this application for three boreholes,” he told the meeting, adding that the proposal had already come before councillors on three occasions.
“If people cannot set those perceptions aside, I would suggest that they abstain from the vote to allow the works to be carried out,” he said.
But Sinn Féin councillor Stephen McCann said every application deserves scrutiny, adding that he did not appreciate being told how to vote.
“We make our own conclusions. I do not like any direction from a speaker about how to vote,” he said.
Fermanagh-based Sinn Féin councillor Thomas O’Reilly described the comments as ‘disturbing’, accusing Mr Conway of questioning the integrity of councillors and attempting to influence the decision-making process.
“This is not an acceptable way to address committee members,” he said. “We are here to do the job we are mandated to do, listen to all sides and make decisions based on the advice provided.”
Flintridge Resources, which is based on the Botera Road just outside Omagh, plans to drill three boreholes north of the existing mine.
The drilling is expected to begin in May and take around 16 weeks, operating between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and until 1pm on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays.
The council’s Environmental Health Service noted that no explosives will be used and that noise mitigation measures will be in place..
