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Campaigners slam sand traders extension request

Green Party assembly member Stephen Agnew
Green Party assembly member Stephen Agnew Green Party assembly member Stephen Agnew

CAMPAIGNERS have reacted angrily to requests from Lough Neagh sand traders asking planning appeals chiefs for extra time to carry out environmental studies on the lake.

Traders have appealed a decision by environment minister Mark H Durkan to issue enforcement notices to several firms involved in the unauthorised extraction of sand from Ireland’s largest lake.

Solicitors for one of the firms have now written to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) seeking a one-year extension to the deadline for carrying out environmental assessments which should have been completed next month.

Traders are allowed to continue their activities while the PAC considers their case and have continued to pump thousands of tonnes of sand from the lough each day despite having no planning permission.

It is understood the environment minister could have ordered a stop notice but instead issued a less rigid enforcement notice.

Green Party assembly member Stephen Agnew said he did not support the request for an extension.

“Little progress has been made in stopping unauthorised sand dredging on Lough Neagh to date and any further delay is unacceptable," he said.

Sand traders say the “extension of time is required to undertake the works identified to date as being required as part of the EIA (Equality Impact Assessment) process”.

A spokesman for the PAC said a decision on the appeal request will be taken in the coming weeks.