Planning permission has been granted for a controversial five metre high ‘screening barrier’ at the Aurivo milk plant at Crossroads, Killygordon.
Donegal County Council granted permission for the structure, despite strong objections from local residents.
Initially, the company had sought the go-ahead for a six metre (19.6ft) high barrier inside the perimeter wall of its manufacturing facility.
In their written submission, residents said they wished to ‘strongly object’ on a number of grounds.
They claimed the proposed wooden barrier was ‘too high’ and would be out of character with the adjacent buildings and would impact on local residential properties.
“We feel that this structure would become an eyesore on the landscape,” their objection stated.
An architect’s impression of what the proposed six metre barrier would have looked like.
Aurivo stated, in their application, that the barrier was needed to reduce noise emanating from their plant.
However, the residents argued that the majority of them did not ‘have any issues with noise’ from the creamery whom they described as a good neighbour and employer.
The residents suggested that a three metre (9.8ft) barrier would be sufficient.
According to planning documents, the company said it had been pointed out to them recently by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that there was a lack of ‘noise abatement’ between the facility and nearby houses.
“Aurivo now wish to take proactive steps to control noise emission on a long-term basis to resolve this matter.”
Council planners decided to grant permission for a, lower, barrier of five metres (16.4ft).
The residents have until the end of the month to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala (ABP).
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