Grangegeeth locals take action over waste processing facility plan

Residents of Grangegeeth, Slane, have expressed grave concerns over plans for a waste processing and recycling facility in the area which are currently being considered by Meath County Council. 
Geeth Recycling Limited is seeking permission for the change of use of existing buildings from general storage sheds to a recycling/waste processing and transfer facility at Grangegeeth, Slane. Permission is also sought for a prefabricated site office with associated staff welfare facilities, outdoor storage areas and ancillary site development works. 
The proposed facility will require a waste facility permit which is to be sought through a separate application to Meath County Council.
Concerned residents have already held a number of meetings on the plans and the next is due to take place at the Sally Gardens Pub at 8.30pm on Tuesday, 19th September and will be lodging objections to the planning application.
Joe Groome, Chairperson of Grangegeeth and District Residents Association said a waste processing facility would have a “very significant and detrimental impact on everyone in the area”.
He explained that residents are concerned about the impact the facility would have on their quality of life with extra heavy traffic using the narrow country roads to access the site, the noise and dust and they also feel it would devalue their properties. They also fear that if the precedent is set for a waste facility that it could increase in scale over time. 
“We already have serious safety worries when the school buses meet truck on these narrow country roads,” said Mr Groome. “A waste recyling plant would further exacerbate the serious traffic problems faced at this location already.” 

Grangegeeth Residents's Association chairperson Joe Groome.

Another resident, June Elliott said: “I use the road on a daily basis to travel 200 yards to and from work in my wheelchair. The volume of traffic using the roads already with other industrial factories in the area is huge and this will only increase if the waste processing plant gets the go ahead.”
“I already have got respiratory problems - I don’t want to have further health implications with dust and air pollution should the waste processing plant get the green light.
Ms Elliott also fears that if it goes ahead, it will “open the flood gates for further expansion of waste processing in the area”.
Thomas McCormack who has three young children said: “There is a lot of traffic on our roads already, with lorries going to and from the steel factory. With this plan they are on about 20 more lorries a day. It is a safety issue.” He said that if you meet a lorry driving on the narrow road you can't pass and have to pull into the ditch. Mr McCormack also pointed out that they live in a valley and said noise from the plant would have a huge impact on local residents. "As it is, you could hear a dog bark a mile away," he said.