Mining company must go through planning process

THE Omagh mining company which operates at Cavanacaw outside the town will now have to apply for full planning permission to carry out new mineral exploration works.

It follows a decision by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to prevent the company – Flintridge Resources – from completing exploration boreholes through ‘Permitted Development Rights’. This would have allowed Flintridge to complete the work without having to go through the planning process.

A special meeting of the council took place last Thursday night to discuss the issue when it was decided that the firm must submit a planning application for the work.

This overturns a recommendation by the council’s own planning officials.

The proposal was forwarded by Alliance councillor, Stephen Donnelly, who lives close to the site and his motion was carried by an 18-10 majority of councillors present at the meeting.

Cllr Donnelly said he was making the proposal as he believed the work would be to the detriment of the local area, with potential for
serious nuisance to residents nearby and the impact on a conservation area.

He said the people of Clanabogan and Cavanacaw were against the drilling, which would be carried out six days a week except Sunday.

Independent councillor, Josephine Deehan, said there was little doubt that drilling for 12 hours on six days a week would cause a ‘serious nuisance’ for the inhabitants. She said there was absolutely no reason why the proposal for boreholes should not go to full planning appraisal. The meeting was told that there had been 57 boreholes at the Cavanacaw site which were notifed to the council – a figure which was disputed by Independent councillor, Emmett McAleer. He contended that the number would be ‘in the 100s.’