*Impact to the Kilkee Cliff Walk has been flagged as a concern by locals.
UISCE ÉIREANN’s proposals for a wastewater treatment plant in Kilkee “will be out of date before it is built,” one of the country’s most prominent chartered civil engineers has said.
82 people attended a public meeting on Tuesday night at Kilkee Community Centre which had been advertised as ‘Save Kilkee Cliff Walk’. The meeting was organised by a group of six individuals, Tom Boland, Kevin Heenan, Brian Melican, Martin Busher, Mary Arthur and Joseph McCloskey.
Among those in attendance were Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF), Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Rita McInerney (FF), Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) and Cllr Dinny Gould (IND).
Organisers said apologies were issued by Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne (IND), Senator Timmy Dooley (FF), Senator Martin Conway (FG), Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) and Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG).
On January 3rd, Uisce Éireann submitted a planning application to Clare County Council for the development of a new Pumping Station at Victoria Park, Kilkee and the construction of a new Sewage Treatment Plant on Dunlicky Road. 89 submissions were made to the County Council by early February, further information was sought by the Council later that month which was received in August.
Speaking at the public meeting, civil engineer Michael Duffy said, “like most places around the coast Kilkee is behind the curve on wastewater”, he estimated that it was in fact thirty years behind. “This proposal in engineering terms you’re being sold a pup, primary treatment no different to an ordinary septic tank, two percent of treatment in septic tank, the rest happens in soil outside of you have good soil and if you don’t you need treatment,” he said.
Kilfenora based Duffy said the treatment plant will be outdated on the day they are commissioned. “Unfortunately this proposal will be out of date before it is built,” he stated. Duffy who first visited Kilkee aged seven said with a ten year planning application, “Irish Water will have ten years to sit on their hands before they do anything”.
Addressing the meeting, Joseph McCloskey stated, “We want public money spent properly, we don’t want more raw sewage on the beach or the Cliff Walk to be spoiled in any way. We’re representatives of the group behind the professional submission made in January. Our key purpose is to put the facts out there as best as we know them, the way we see it, Clare County Council has a decision to make, either yes grant planning or no refuse it”.
He outlined, “we don’t believe we’re scaremongering, we’re putting serious facts to you that will last the test of credibility”. McCloskey said, “we do not oppose a wastewater treatment plant, we want a properly designed one, we deserve a plant which will leave no raw sewage on the beach and be sympathetic to the residents of Victoria Park and not to spoil the Cliff Walk”.
Opposition is based on the plan for primary sewage treatment only and not for the highest level of tertiary sewage treatment.
Martin Busher has lived on Dunlicky Rd in Kilkee for the past thirty six years, he said he was not aware of any public consultation initiated by Uisce Éireann for their plans. He said the plant is proposed to be located right opposite the farm stead of Sean Haugh. “Our Cliff Walk is the jewel in the crown, it is visited by thousands of people every year,” he said while criticising the planned location of the plant. He said the vegetation will now grow at the plant as detailed by Uisce Éireann and the planting plan will not screen the industrial plant from view.
Kilkee’s proposed plant is “a copy and paste” job of what exists in Kilrush, he believed. Population figures of 6,990 provided by Uisce Éireann in their application are flawed, Martin said and pointed out that they based their data from the Census which was completed in April “when the holiday homes are closed, we had no holiday home makers here”. He produced figures based on studying Eircodes in Kilkee and came to a population of 10,546. He said it was unfair on the people of Kilkee that Uisce Éireann expected construction works could be completed over 18 months with works to be carried out six days a week for twelve hours from Monday to Friday and eight hours on a Saturday.
Alternative sites for the location of the plant were put forward by Tom Boland which included the Quarry and Lisdeen Recyling Centre.
Kilkee needs a sewerage scheme, Deputy Crowe outlined. He warned locals “another risk is what if it doesn’t get done, at any given time we are vying for a pot of money to deliver schemes, if not delivered it gets absorbed elsewhere”.
Cllr Lynch said he was accused of “having a tinfoil hat” when he expressed concerns in Kilrush. He predicted it was going to be “very difficult” to tackle the application. He criticised Uisce Éireann for using “incorrect figures”. He added, “the plant in Kilrush is out of the way but in the future it won’t be because the greenway is going through it”.
“We all love Kilkee and want to see it thrive and grow, it has to happen in right place and protect the few amenities we have to make sure the landscape is protected,” commented Cllr McInerney. She said a briefing took place on Tuesday morning between councillors and Uisce Éireann, “the first thing I said to them is when all wastewater is taken from Councils you are losing connection with the councillors who know the issues on the ground”.
She added, “I told them we were having this meeting and they’d have pushback on location & protecting beautiful landscape, I was shocked with how surprised they were with the level of objection to it”. The Doonbeg native said several towns and villages are unable to develop because they don’t have a wastewater treatment plant and felt this was a “serious project” for Kilkee and the Peninsula.
