Poolbeg Incinerator Ready To Re-Start

The construction of a controversial incinerator could restart within months - giving a fresh impetus for the building trade - but hitting environmental protest groups hard at the same time.

Following the recent decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant permission to Dublin City Council to compulsorily purchase land required for the facility at Poolbeg, it has emerged that the planning body does not intend to hold public hearings on the application to acquire 65 plots of land along the coastline.

Instead, the Council will be given the authority to confirm its compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the land.

That decision means the Council will no longer need a foreshore licence from Minister for the Environment John Gormley to develop a water-cooling facility for the development, which was the last barrier to the construction of the 600,000 tonne capacity incinerator.

Construction of the incinerator began last December but has been suspended since May because, developers Covanta said, of the lack of a foreshore licence that had been applied for in August 2008.

Mr Gormley has previously said that he is not delaying making a decision on the licence, as responsibility for foreshore licences was only transferred to his department last January.

By taking ownership of the land, the council would no longer need the licence, as it would have automatic access to the river water.

The owners of the land, a 1.7sq km plot, are the Minister for Finance (on behalf of the State), the Dublin Port Company and the council itself.

The Dublin Port Company said it had no objection to the order as it would have "no impact on the operations of the port".

The Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown Environmental Group, was among those whose objections to the order was considered invalid by An Bord Pleanála.

The group had objected on the grounds that the compulsory purchase order lands included part of a public road and footpath. But, at the time it submitted the order, the Council said that it had no intention of blocking the public right of way.

(BMcC/KMcA)