DUNSTOWN, 25 July: by Brian Byrne. An Bord Pleanala has turned down an appeal against a refusal for permission to build a power station at Dunstown Wood near Carnalway.
This follows a long and hard-fought campaign by local people since the project was first mooted in late 1999. The proposal was made by Alvale Systems Ltd, a consortium of Bord na Mona, Elf Aquitaine Gas and Fortum.
The appeals board said it was 'reasonable' that the lands in the Dunstown area are deemed primarily agricultural and not zoned industrial.
The planners also held that the area is part of the Liffey Valley area of high amenity and such a large industrial development would 'seriously injure' the visual amenities of the area.
The decision has been welcomed by the Concerned Residents of Co Kildare and River Liffey Valley Ltd, the lobby group formed to fight the proposal. In a statement they said it was 'the best news' local residents could have hoped for.
The committee is to hold a public meeting in September at which the campaign will be brought to a formal end. They have also appealed to all concerned with the protests to remove any signage in their local areas.
©2001brianbyrne/knn