February 10th, 2009 -- Posted in Water Scheme |
It is hard to believe but the Wicklow County Council has denied Freedom of Information Access to an PUBLIC important document which is the Ground Source Protection Study. The formal decision was given on Tuesday the 10th of February at 5:00 pm. Not including the study was injury to the public. Refusing an FOI request making it so that this study will only be available after an appeal and after the deadline is
dishonest. We work hard to cooperate with the Wicklow County Council and not turn into adversaries, but with such decisions as this, it is hard. This study delineates just
who will be restricted in the use of their own property. There are going to be many people who are unaware that they are in the protection area. These will be some who are going to be forced to change to main sewers, restricted in using any gardening poisons, and for some who farm, will be unable to continue due to restrictions on spreading of fertilizer either organic or chemical. If you draw a 300 meter circle around each of the wells, you will probably catch most of those effected. That is many new objections. If you are in this area, please urgently draw up an objection and deliver it to the Wicklow County Council. If you need any kind of help, just email admin(at)rivervartry.com and we will get back to you at once.
February 7th, 2009 -- Posted in Water Scheme |
The Hydrogeological Assessment Study released by the Wicklow Co. Co. under Freedom of Imformation spells out clearly that the River is under threat. The complete study is available under Important Links both
“Complete Hydrogeological Assessment” and
“Summary Hydrogeological Assessment” (containing the most damning information). Here is just one quote, “.
..an assessment of the potential impacts of any reduced water levels and flows in the Vartry River may have on the fish populations and other protected species will be examined and a separate report will be prepared if necessary.” Please add your objection to the growing list of neighbours that have already objected.
February 3rd, 2009 -- Posted in Water Scheme |
The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board has added their objection to the list of objections to the Wicklow Water Scheme. You can read the complete objection clicking on this post or under important links:
Eastern Regional Fisheries Board Objection. We still need
YOUR objection on the Water Scheme by the 13th of February. We have almost convinced the Wicklow County Council to “do the right thing” but they need to see the amount of people concerned and your objection may be the
ONE more that will matter.
January 17th, 2009 -- Posted in Water Scheme |
This is a website dedicated to the Protection of the River Vartry which passes through Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland. We are landowners and concerned people who want to see that the River will always be a part of the landscape.
This is a Blog. Click on the Comment text just above and leave your questions or opinions or contact us.
••••••••••URGENT YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED NOW •••••••••
The Wicklow County Council has started a Wicklow Water Supply Scheme – Part 8 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Order which can be seen on www.wicklow.ie under Local Authority News. DO NOT BE MISLED BY THIS. IT IS THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT TO THE RIVER VARTRY SINCE 1868 WHEN THE ROUNDWOOD RESERVOIR WAS BUILT.
The Wicklow County Council would like this to go by without notice and on the surface looks like an upgrade to the Cronroe Treatment Works. It is in-fact a complete new water scheme that is to drill 7 new wells in the area and will without a doubt lower the levels in the Vartry by this large groundwater abstraction. Details are given in the section “WATER SCHEME” but what is necessary is that there is a groundswell of public opinion that requires the Wicklow County Council to produce an Environment Impact Assessment. They have provided no Environmental Information and an EIA is mandatory. One condition is that if there is sufficient public concern, so be concerned and make a submission asking for an EIA. Submissions are free and can be made according to the information below.
Submissions and observations with respect to the proposed development dealing with the proper planning and sustainable development of theProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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rea in which the development would be situated may be made in writing to the Senior Excutive Officer, Water and Environmental Services on or before 4:00pm on Friday 13th February 2008. Observations should be clearly marked “”Wicklow Water Supply Scheme”". There is no fee for making a submission to the above application.
Drop the objection to the Wicklow County Council offices planning desk or send the objection to
Philip Duffy, Senior Executive Officer, Water and Environmental Services,
Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow Town.
Part of this plan is to Compulsory Purchase (CPO) land for the laying of pipe and the location of some of the wells. This land will be unusable for farming because of a source protection area which the Wicklow County Council have not yet defined. These CPOs are heard by An Bord Pleanala rather than the council and if you wish to object to these, it is important to contact admin[at]rivervartry.com for details. These objections need to be in by the 2nd of February. There is a procedure to follow when objecting to these and a potential cost.