Objectors raise concerns over impact of Athlone housing plan on wildlife

Objectors to plans for 70 new houses in Cornamaddy, Athlone, have raised a range of concerns about the impact the development would have on badgers and other wildlife in the area.

Marina Quarter Ltd, with a company address in Maynooth, Co Kildare, has applied for a five-year grant of permission for the housing development on a site of more than 10 hectares in Cornamaddy.

The planning application is looking to amend a previous grant of permission for 38 housing units and to replace it with permission for 70 houses, 60 of which would be three-bedroom semi detached homes.

The plans state that, along with other phases of proposed housing development in the area, the project would form part of "a new residential neighbourhood in Athlone, of circa 400 units' total".

As of Friday morning last, three objections to the plans had been received by the council, each of which outlined a series of concerns about how the development would affect the existing biodiversity in the area.

One of the objectors, Ruairí Ó Leocháin of Athlone’s Wildlife Apiaries, started an online petition - under the heading of 'Stop Habitat Destruction in Cornamaddy, Athlone' - and at the time of writing this had attracted more than 2,700 signatures.

An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR), submitted as part of Marina Quarter Ltd's planning application, acknowledged that "an active badger territory exists within the lands at Cornamaddy," and it said a badger survey carried out last November had identified four badger setts at the site.

"Mammal activity at the site of the proposed development was noted to be relatively high, with several well-established mammal trails visible throughout the grassland and scrub habitats," the EIAR stated.

It said the potential ecological impacts of the proposed development would range "from neutral to significant," but said these impacts "can be readily addressed" by mitigation measures.

Outlining the proposed mitigation measures, the report said a portion of the site would be retained for biodiversity, and that "a badger specialist" would be brought in to "ensure that badgers are protected during the construction phase and during sett exclusion and excavation."

The developer proposed to establish an artificial main sett for badgers "adjacent to the western site boundary," saying this would be "constructed and established prior to the exclusion of badgers from the existing setts".

In his submission on the plans, Ruairí Ó Leocháin said the badger setts in question were "at least 100 years old according to locals," and would have supported some twenty generations of badgers.

"If the proposed work goes ahead, it would amount to a planned habitat destruction, which is against the EU Habitats Directive," stated Mr Ó Leocháin.

He argued that the proposed mitigation measures would not be effective, saying the artificial badger sett "would only serve as a possible temporary habitat" for the badgers.

"Best practice now suggests that the relocation of badgers should not be attempted. Where attempts at relocation have been attempted as a long term solution, it has failed. Badgers invariably move on from any man-made sett.

"Habitat destruction means habitat destruction. There are other badger clans in the wider area. Habitat destruction leads to territorial fighting, spread of disease, and road kill, in the long term," wrote Mr Ó Leocháin.

In another submission, Oliver Reid, of Cornamagh, Athlone, said he wished to "strongly object" to the proposed development "in regard to the habitats of wildlife and hedges, trees, etc, plus the flooding that takes place every winter".

He said the Cornamagh Oak tree was "listed under the Oaks of Ireland" and said wildlife on the proposed site included snipe, badgers, foxes, two breeds of bats, tadpoles, and a variety of bird species.

A third submission had a return address of Doire Loughain of Spiddal, Galway, and was signed by Dr Antoinette Reid, who said she was "born and raised on these lands" (in Cornamaddy) and visits them regularly.

The submission stated that it was objecting to the development on multiple grounds relating to biodiversity, including "the eradication of multiple protected species from the site," and the "destruction of noted ancient heritage treees".

It also stated that there had been "no consideration for the effect of works on adjacent private well water used for household drinking purposes".

The planning submission also included photos of flooding on land in the Cornamaddy area, saying this occurred annually. "It is unusual for the area to be 'dry' unless we have a heatwave," it said.

"These plans require a serious revision and I would like to highlight the fact that we are in a serious national biodiversity crisis," the submission signed by Dr Reid stated.

The closing date for submissions on the planning application was Friday last, and Westmeath County Council's decision on it is due by Friday, February 24.