KildareNet News week ending 17 February 2001

Residents to meet on planning permission for massive business park

PIPER'S HILL, 13 February 2001: by Brian Byrne. Residents of the Piper's Hill area are to hold an information meeting in Two-Mile-House GAA Hall next Monday night, to discuss the ramifications of the granting of planning permission for a major industrial/business park at Kilashee on land owned by the Weld family (above).

The permission granted involves a 236-acre development over eight years, which will include some 37 buildings for industry and office use. A number of roundabouts will be built on the Kilcullen Road to provide safe vehicular access, and among the 32 conditions imposed is the prior construction of a link road between the Kilcullen Road and the Newbridge Road.

The planning application was the subject of some controversy last August when objectors to the initial application realised that a brand new application had been submitted, and their objections to the original one would not be considered in the new application.

It is understood that around 60 families in the area have objected, and the information meeting to be held next week will consider whether a joint objection to An Bord Pleanala might be undertaken. Individual objections to ABP would cost £120 per objector.

The project (above) is on land rezoned during the preparation of the 1999 Kildare County Development Plan which comprises 17 fields currently used for grazing and bloodstock. Members of the Killashee Action Group protested at County Hall in February of 1999 (left) when councillors voted to rezone the property.

The proposers say almost 9,000 jobs would be created on the site, and the businesses there would result in approximately 2,000 more jobs created in the Naas area.

Objections were also lodged from Naas UDC and An Taisce. The one by Naas UDC asked that the proposed development should not be granted permission in advance of the construction of the Naas Relief Road between the Newbridge Road and the Kilcullen Road, and this has been acceeded to by a requirement that no development can take place without this road being completed, and the developer is being asked to contribute an as yet unspecified amount for this project.

"The meeting in Two-Mile-House is to provide local people with all the information necessary to decide what their next move should be, if any," says Bosco Cowley (right) of the Kilashee Action Group. "We will also be looking at how other communities dealt with undesirable developments, such as the successful campaign mounted by Ballymore Eustace."

Community access computer centre opened in Leixlip

LEIXLIP, 13 February 2001: by Brian Byrne. A £10,000 grant to Leixlip in the Information Age Town competition some years ago has resulted in the opening of a Leixlip Community Access Centre in the town where local people can access computers, the internet, and support for learning about computers.

The centre is located in the Leixlip Resource Centre opposite the Post Office and was officially opened this week by Cllr Catherine Murphy, though it has been in use for some months.

"As we are all aware, we are constantly told we are in the middle of an Information Revolution," she said at the event. "That revolution has the capacity to leave people behind or exclude them if there is no intervention. This centre has the potential to fill a very important gap - not only is the room and computers available to the public but the very necessary backup provided by the Resource Centre is invaluable in assisting people.

Cllr Murphy commended the Resource Centre for hosting the Community Access Centre and said had it not been for them there was a danger Leixlip would would have lost the sponsorship.

"This is a practical demonstration of how a semi-state body like Eircom, who provided the cash, can work with a Local Authority," she said. "I hope it will prove to be both an information and educational resource for a long time into the future."

Waste transfer station will mean 'less trucks through Naas' - county engineer

NAAS, 13 February 2001: by Trish Whelan. Naas could see fewer heavy refuse trucks passing through when a new waste transfer station comes into use at the County Council dump at Silliot Hill (above).

County engineer Jimmy Lynch (left) told a meeting of Kildare County Council and Naas UDC this is because all the northern refuse will go directly to South Dublin County Council’s baling station at Ballymount.

He said refuse will only go to the Silliot Hill landfill from the southern end of the county. “It won’t impact on traffic. It will be in smaller numbers as they are very large trucks and the waste could even be transported at a more convenient time’.

Mr Lynch said this will only occur for 2-3 years as the planned new county landfill facility goes through the design process and implementation.

He was responding to a query from Naas UDC Cllr Evelyn Bracken (right) who believed a transfer station at Silliot Hill would mean lorries using the Naas/Kilcullen Road ‘night and day’.

Cllr Pat McCarthy asked if all domestic rubbish from Naas ended up in Silliot Hill. He was told that collectors were not obliged to use this facility. However Mr Lynch said he would be surprised if any collectors collecting in Naas do anything other than deliver it to an authorised site.

Cllr Mary Glennon told how the gates of the Silliot Hill landfill are shut at weekends and said it was ‘a challenging experience’ trying to recycle bottles at the council dump. “It’s certainly not made easy for you,” she told County Council officials.

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