A £4 million lead and zinc handling facility planned for Cork to cater for concentrates from the £120 million Minorco Lisheen mine was effectively given the go-ahead yesterday when local residents withdrew their objections.

The decision by Tivoli residents to withdraw their appeal followed an agreement with the developers of the store, Port of Cork, prior to the holding of an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala into the granting of planning permission for the facility.

The residents' solicitor, Mr Joe Noonan told the hearing that they were satisfied that the agreement with the Port of Cork had addressed a number of their concerns particularly the issues of air pollution monitoring and noise levels.

But the developers proceeded with its own appeal to An Bord Pleanala against a number of the conditions imposed by Cork Corporation when it granted planning permission for the 4,122 sq metre facility in March of this year.

Mr Sean O Donnabhain, for the Port of Cork, said one of the conditions was a limit of an average of 45-50 truck deliveries per day but they were seeking an increase on that to an average of 55-60 deliveries a day.

Cork Corporation Senior Planner, Mr Ronnie McDowell, said the Corporation had no problem with the increase but suggested that the condition be expressed as a daily maximum limit as there may be no deliveries for a month but then several hundred on one day.

Consultant, Mr Eamon Timoney, for the Port of Cork, said that wouldn't happen as truck movements to the facility - which will have a capacity for 20,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates and 5,000 tonnes of lead concentrate - would be very consistent.

Mr O Donnabhain said the developers were also concerned over the time limit imposed by the Corporation that the facility would cease after 15 years.

The Port of Cork had looked at the impact on noise levels of extending the hours of delivery to 12 midnight and found that this was marginal with the extra two hours resulting in approximately seven or eight extra truck movements, he said.

An Bord Pleanala Inspector, Mr Ben Cranwell thanked both parties for their submissions and acknowledged a request from Mr O Donnabhain that the board come to its decision as quickly as possible as there were other possible locations for the store.