Stud farms say they could relocate if quarry is granted permission
The future of several major stud farms in Co Kildare is under threat from the proposed development of a quarry near Kilcullen, according to leading figures in the horse racing industry.
Former jockey, Ruby Walsh, and racehorse owner, the Agh Khan are among over 200 locals who have become involved in a planning row over plans by Kilsaran Concrete to develop a new quarry near their stables.
A representative of the Aga Khan warned that he might have to consider moving horses used for breeding to stud farms in France if Kilsaran was allowed to proceed with its plans to extract 3 million tonnes of sand and gravel over a 12-year period from a 32-hectare site at Racefield which is located around 10km outside Kilcullen, Co Kildare.
The company, a leading manufacturer of concrete products based in Dunboyne, Co Meath, has submitted an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Kildare County Council to refuse planning permission for the development.
Mr Walsh, a former champion jockey and the Aga Khan as well as the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association were among over 220 parties including two TDs and 12 councillors, who made submissions to the council opposing Kilsaran’s plans.
Kildare County Council refused planning permission for the project on the basis that the local road network was inadequate to cope with increased traffic plans generated by the development.
It ruled the resulting traffic hazard would endanger public safety while council planners were also not satisfied that Kilsaran had the necessary consents to carry out road safety measures on approach roads to the quarry site.
In addition, the council said the development would seriously injure the amenities of nearby houses due to increased levels of dust, traffic and general disturbance as well as depreciate the value of properties in the area.
It said Kilsaran had also failed to demonstrate that its plans would not adversely affect EU protected sites in the vicinity.
The manager of the Aga Khan’s studs in Ireland, Pat Downes, said he had concerns about the potential impact of the proposed quarry on the core business of the Aga Khan’s four stud farms in Ireland which are all located in the vicinity of the quarry site.
Mr Downes, who is based in the Gilltown Stud in Kilcullen, Co Kildare, said the roads in the area were not suitable for increased volumes of heavy traffic, while he also had fears over noise and dust levels that could be generated by the quarry.
In addition, he claimed there was a significant risk of pollution to local groundwater.
“Our business involves the production of top-quality racehorses and a vital part of that production depends on clear, unpolluted water,” said Mr Downes.
He added:
“This is an area of Kildare that is highly dependent on agriculture, bloodstock and rural employment. The adverse effects, should this application be approved, would be very damaging. Certainly for our business, it could result in a relocation of stock to France with the inevitable result of job losses.”
Mr Downes said a development like Kilsaran’s in the very heart of dense bloodstock activity, where over 160 stud farms were located, could not be consistent with Kildare’s the identity as the “Thoroughbred County of Ireland” Mr Walsh, one of the country’s best-known sportsmen who lives outside Kilcullen, said he had chosen the location to rear horses because of its soil, water quality and proximity to the Curragh as well as the need for a relaxed environment for horses.
The former jockey said the road which would be used by trucks accessing the quarry was not capable of coping with any more traffic.
Mr Walsh also quoted a recent NUI Galway study which raised concerns about the long term health implications for humans and animals of exposure to crystalline silica which can result from the quarrying of sand.
He expressed concern for the health of his family and the sustainability of his business.
“Investors in thoroughbreds will not want to have horses in such an area as this if the quarry starts,” Mr Walsh said.
The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association said its primary concern was the effect the development could have on the respiratory tract of racehorses through increased dust levels ITBA chief executive, Shane O’Dwyer, said noise from 32-tonne trucks carrying 20-tonne loads could “spook” highly sensitive animals.
Mr O’Dwyer said professional breeders needed the certainty of being able to operate in a clean, green environment which could be severely affected if the proposed quarry was allowed to go ahead.
Fine Gael TD for Kildare South, Martin Heydon, said many locals were concerned that Kilsaran owned and continued to purchase significant land banks in the area close to the quarry.
“It is understandable that people would presume that the granting of this single large quarry may only be the start of very significant quarrying activity throughout this area in the future,” Mr Heydon observed.
Kilsaran said the proposed facility would provide vital material for the building industry and its plans were designed with consideration of national, regional and local planning policies and objectives.
A ruling in the case is due in early May.
