*The Armada Hotel.
A DECISION is to be made next week on plans by The Armada Hotel to build a 4.3km water pipeline stretching from Spanish Point to Quilty.
Spanish Point and Miltown Malbay have experienced their fair share of water issues in recent years with fresh plans from the Burke family, owners of the Armada Hotel before Clare County Council offering a potential solution. It will cost an estimated €1.5m.
Such water issues include the removal of the Blue Flag at Spanish Point last summer and the prosecution of Uisce Éireann by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for breaches of its wastewater discharge licence at Miltown Malbay. The Miltown Malbay plant discharges into the Annagh River which flows into the sea at Spanish Point.
At peak times of the season, 170 people are employed at The Armada Hotel.
In the middle of March, Armada Hotel Holdings Limited lodged plans for the development of a primary wastewater pumping station at Armada House, a secondary wastewater pumping station at the Armada Hotel and a rising main wastewater pipe stretching 4.3km in length located within the L6224, the R482 and N67 in the townlands of Leagard South, Dough, Annagh, Caherrush, Emlagh and Quilty West. The development will consist of the decomissioning and removal of the existing wastewater treatment units.
Clare County Council are due to issue a decision on the application by Tuesday. Businesses and residents in Spanish Point have made submissions in favour of the development while submissions from Quilty from some residents and the Quilty Tidy Towns group have urged the Council to refuse the development.
Currently Spanish Point is not served by a wastewater plant. The applicant has argued that in the absence of one, the connection from the Armada Complext to the Kilmurry Ibrickane wastewater treatment plant “offers a long-term and strategically appropriate approach to wastewater management in such a sensitive environmental context”.
For the construction of the pipeline, MKO in their report detailed that the works along the public road corridor will be undertaken in a staged manner and calculated that 100m of pipeline can be installed per day using either open-cut trenching or horizontal directional drilling. “While the precise methodology will be confirmed through the road opening licensing process, it is currently assumed that the works will not necessitate road closures. The full route benefits from a two-way carriageway and it is expected that a stop and go traffic management system will provide sufficient control throughout the construction period”.
Engineering consultancy firm TOBIN in a report included with the application flagged, “Total calculated demand including both the existing Armada Hotel and Armada House is 46.890 m3/day or a PE (population equivalent) of 296. The proposed primary pumping station will be sized to cater initially for a total 296 PE. The proposed primary pumping station will be sized to cater initially for a total 296 PE. The overall demand of both the Armada House and the Armada Hotel is 46.89 m3/day which is equivalent to 0.542 l/s. Due to this, 24-hour DWF storage of 46.89 m3 capacity is required”.
TOBIN also submitted a query to Uisce Éireann to confirm the feasibiliy of providing a new connection to the Kilmurry Ibrickane wastewater treatment plan for the treatment of wastewater generated at the Armada complex. Uisce Éireann confirmed there is capacity and that a connection was feasible.
Within Quilty, there is opposition to the plans. Those to object include Quilty Tidy Towns, David Galvin, Mairead Galvin, Keith Galvin, Bernadette Mullins, Tommy Galvin, Eileen O’Connor, John O’Connor, Kieran Collins, Lorna Pender, Mackie O’Connor, Martha Shanahan and Mary O’Connor. Residents in the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane campaigned for four decades for the installation of a wastewater plant.
Among those issuing submissions in support of the Conor Tubridy, Mary Mulqueen, Mary Cleary Kyne, Pat Kyne, Michael Hillery, Nancy Creech, Spanish Point Community Group, Tom Barrett and Michael Duffy. MEP Michael McNamara (IND) has also supported the proposal.
Quilty based Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) requested the Council to seek further information on the plans “and if planning permission is granted impose stringent conditions particularly in relation to wastewater infrastructure, long-term capacity planning and Uisce Éireann commitments”. There are concerns regarding “capacity constraints” in Kilmurry Ibrickane, he said. “We want freedom to grow in Quilty, Mullagh and Kilmurry Ibrickane into the future”.
His colleagues in the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG), Cllr Shane Talty (FF), Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG), Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) and Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) have all expressed their support for the development. Raising the matter before a sitting of the West Clare MD, Cllr Slattery commended John Burke for lodging the plans as an example of developer led infrastructure. “It is a brave step by an individual, it is a costly one and it needs to be recognised”.
Quilty Tidy Towns in their objection stated, “The Armada complex has been successful but it is not the only tourism provider in this area. There are several businesses in the Quilty and Seafield areas which provide tourist facilities and accommodation and they may also seek to expand their businesses”.
Owners of Littleton Lodge in Spanish Point, Conor Tubridy and Mary Mulqueen said exporting wastewater to the Kilmurry Ibrickane plant “makes absolute common sense as that plant has more than adequate spare capacity and the site has space for future expansion, if required. Moreoever the proposal is at zero cost to the government for communities in Spanish Point and Quilty”.
Chartered civil engineer, Michael Duffy said the application “is a technically excellent solution to an incomprehensible deficit in municipal infrastructure in Spanish Point. It will be good for the environment and water quality in the wider area. On that basis I am happy to support this application”.
“Why let Armada Holdings join our sewer system when houses in our area are not on the system,” John O’Connor questioned in his submission. Keith Galvin claimed there had been “a lack of effort for proper community consultation” and cautioned that it could negatively impact residential housing estate and one-off housing developments in Quilty and Mullagh, derelict sites coming back into use, existing houses not connected to the scheme and other business developments.
Spanish Point Community Group labelled the pumping stations and pipeline as “a critical and urgent piece of economic and social infrastructure”.
Tom Barrett on behalf of the North Clare Communities Group (NCCG) which represents 20 not for profit community groups in the Ennistymon LEA also issued their support and stressed the “continued strength of tourism” in West and North Clare.
