PEOPLE in Union Hall have vowed to oppose the development of an intensive pig farm following the submission of a planning application on July 2nd last.
The deadline for receipt of submissions in relation to the application by Vincent and Claire White is August 5th, three weeks before Cork County Council’s due date for a decision on August 26th.
Locals have formed a Facebook Group called ‘Stop Union Hall Piggery’ and say they were astonished to learn of the development proposed for Brade, Union Hall, just one week after the village was added to the Wild Atlantic Way.
They are concerned that the piggery would be located close to other dwellings, waterways, sensitive environmental areas and a high value area for tourism and recreation in Glandore Harbour.
The application seeks permission to construct a piggery complex consisting of four fattening houses, a weaner house, a farrowing house, a dry sow house, and an isolation house that have a slatted slurry tank.
The application also seeks permission to develop a pig loading bay, seven pig handling passages, five feed storage bins, a rainwater harvesting tank, an over-ground slurry storage tank, reception tank, and an earth-walled bund to over ground the slurry storage tank, as well as a hard-surfaced access.
An outdoor meeting of the local campaigners led to the formation of a committee and it has already started a fundraising campaign to fight the proposed development.
As part of that campaign, they said they will seek expert advice and organise public demonstrations.
‘We are extremely concerned about potential polluting emissions, noise, traffic, and where an estimated 9.8m litres of slurry with high concentrations of ammonia will end up,’ a resident said.
Business owners from the village of Union Hall, which rely on tourism, were also well represented at the meeting.
There is a fear that prevailing winds from the south west would mean that the surrounding areas of Leap and Glandore would also be affected by the smell of the piggery.
‘It’s unbelievable really,’ one of the objectors, Pamela Collins, stated ‘Just last week we were celebrating the addition of Union Hall to the Wild Atlantic Way.’
