MORE THAN six hours of evidence was given yesterday at a Department of the Environment hearing in Castlebar into Mayo County Council's decision to acquire by a compulsory purchase order a site for a sewage treatment plant on Westport House estate.
The internationally recognised estate is owned by Lord Altamont, Marquis of Sligo. It consists of 400 acres of parkland, waterways, caravan and camping sites and public amenities and attracts up to 18,000 visitors to Westport each year.
The decision by Mayo County Council to compulsorily acquire 14 acres of land for about £300,000 was made in the face of serious objections by Lord Altamont, who had offered an alternative site for the lesser sum of £200,000.
West port has no sewage treatment plant to cater for its resident 4,000 people, a population which can double during the summer. All raw sewage is discharged directly into Clew Bay and the proposed development will provide a modern secondary treatment plant designed to cater for a population of 20,000 people.
At the hearing yesterday, consultants for the council argued that the alternative site, which lies in the adjoining field, has a more difficult landscape to manoeuvre in terms of engineering and minimising visual impact and would incur a cost difference of up to £2 million on a plant already expected to cost up to £12 million to construct.
Submissions from An Taisce and the Mayo Green Party detailed objections on the basis of threats to the landscape and the future tourist potential of Westport House, but the council replied that there would no such impact as they had ensured that the treatment plant would not be seen, heard or detected by smell.
Mr Tom Smyth SC, for Lord Altamont, stated that the alternative site suggested by his clients was put forward in a public spirited fashion but the council had not given it a meaningful response.
"Very little consideration has been given to Westport House estate in all of this and it is virtually left out of the Environment Impact Study carried out on behalf of Mayo County Council. I take exception to this and I find it very insulting personally to me and to my family who have worked so hard in developing, Westport House over the years, said Lord Altamont.
The Department of Environment inspector, Mr Owen Boyle, said he would get his report to the Minister for him to make a decision on the matter as soon as possible.