This article is from page 2 of the 2007-05-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
yesterday that the rel- evant documents had been lodged in the case and that the claim against the council could amount to €20 million.
“Our legal advice states that we have a very good case,’ Mr O’ Regan said.
He added that he did not expect the case to come before the High Court this year.
Mr O’Regan’s company secured a deal to supply GAMA Construction with stone from a quarry in Ruan.
However, the council issued Mr O’Regan with a warning letter in Au- gust 2004 in relation to the expansion of the quarry at Ardcarney, Ruan.
In the warning letter, the council claimed that “there has been signifi- cant expansion of the quarrying area and an intensification of the use of
the quarry and considers that plan- ning permission 1s required for the Clee a ae
The council stated that a number of developments had taken place on the lands and that the council considered that developments to be unauthorised and required planning permission.
In a response, Mr O’Regan’s com- pany absolutely denied that there was any unauthorised development on the lands in question.
The response letter to the council stated, “There has been no expan- sion of the quarrying area in ques- tion, having regard to the historical planning unit, and whether signifi-
cant or otherwise and there has been no intensification of the use of such quarry on such lands.”
Mr O’Regan said that his company did not receive an enforcement no- tice.
He said that the council sent a letter to GAMA and their consultants al- leging an unauthorised development at Mr O’Regan’s quarry, but failed to forward on the company’s response.
As aresult, Louis O’Regan Ltd lost out on the deal to provide the by- pass project with stone and GAMA sourced rock for the project from an alternative quarry locaated in the Ennis area.