Northern Ireland

Council orders the removal of goldmine protest caravans

Residents opposed to the mine pictured close to the GPO at Greencastle in Co Tyrone
Residents opposed to the mine pictured close to the GPO at Greencastle in Co Tyrone Residents opposed to the mine pictured close to the GPO at Greencastle in Co Tyrone

A COUNCIL has been accused of being “heavy handed” after it ordered the removal of a protest camp set up to oppose a goldmine in Co Tyrone.

Planning officials from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are believed to have visited a site consisting of two caravans at Greencastle, near Omagh, this week.

The caravans, known locally as the Greencastle People’s Office (GPO) are close to an area where Canadian firm Dalradian Gold plan to develop a mine.

The protest site is also close to a statue of the Virgin Mary, which the council has also ordered to be removed.

In two letters, which were later posted on social media by protesters, council officials ordered the removal of the caravans within 28 days.

The notice comes weeks after the council passed a motion opposing mining in the Sperrin Mountains.

Save our Sperrins spokesman Cormac McAleer last night voiced concern.

“They seem to be taking a very heavy handed approach to this,” he said.

Mr McAleer said the decision by the council “seems to be flying in the face” of the recently passed motion.

A spokeswoman for the council said it has not issued an enforcement notice but “is investigating an alleged breach of planning in relation to the siting of two caravans at the site"

“The council issued letters to the occupants of the caravans (this week) requesting that the alleged breach be remedied by the removal of the caravans.

“Failure to remove the caravans may result in the serving of an enforcement notice,” she said.