People in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, were yesterday considering their response to the granting of permission for a cement factory by An Bord Pleanala. While some were delighted at the economic prospects, others spoke of possible court action.
Lagan Cement Ltd has been granted permission to build the factory, which aims to produce 450,000 tonnes of cement a year. The project has been the subject of a bitter battle between the cement firm, a residents' group and a competing producer, the Sean Quinn Group.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, said the planning board had to weork within a legislative framework and would have taken into account issues such as emissions and whether there was any danger to the environment.
Few issues have highlighted the urban/rural divide more than the development of the plant at Killaskillen, near Kinnegad. People in Kinnegad are delighted at the prospect of 400 jobs.
However, the people of Ballinabrackey, a farming community, believe the limestone mining will seriously mar their quality of life.
Mr Robert Bagnall, of the Kinnegad and District Action Group, was delighted at the announcement. "We are ecstatic that the plant is going ahead. It will put Kinnegad on the map," he said.
"It is a huge industry which will employ 200 or 300 people and there will probably be offshoot industries for the town as well." Mrs Marie Goonery, secretary of the Ballinabrackey Action Committee, said she was devastated by the decision of An Bord Pleanala. The most important remaining issue, she said, was the quality of the water in the area, which would be interfered with by the development.
"We have our own wells and an adequate water supply and if there is to be a group water scheme put in place, the company should pay for it and maintain it," she said.
"If there is a further step we can take through the courts or whatever, we will do it." She said she and her neighbours had no regrets about accepting a £30,000 anonymous donation from the Sean Quinn Group to fight the development.
"We wanted money to fight the case and we received an anonymous donation. As long as it was not laundered or drug money, we had no problem then and still have no problems about accepting it." In a statement, the company said it would press on immediately with building work.
It would live up to its promise to employ as many locals as possible both in the building and subsequent production and said discussions had already taken place with the Kinnegad Community Council and FAS in Athlone to identify workers.