Calary Quarry Aqua Park Quashed

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t’s been a long, hard battle for 76-year-old diving expert Albert Kerr, and his campaign to turn a Wicklow quarry into a natural water sports facility has hit another Roadstone wall.

An Bord Pleanála have upheld permission for the constructions and building materials supply company to fill in the 12-acre lake with waste material.

That’s 3.2m tonnes of waste material, over ten to twelve years, with 12 heavy goods vehicles due to travel in and out of the quarry every hour of every day. Bar Sundays and Bank Holidays. That would be taking the piss.

We’ve spoken with Albert before, and he makes a very good argument indeed for turning this natural water lake into a local sports facility that would also make a fine geographical feature, sitting pretty in the shadow of The Sugar Loaf.

Should the landfill plan go ahead, Roadstone say that they will establish a grassland habitat similar to that which existed before they started quarrying at the Calary site. Kerr does not concur.

“This is a unique quarry, and we should be making the most of it,” he states. “Not crushing it under 3.2m tonnes of waste material. At a time when water is like gold, the idea that this quarry can be used for drinking water, firefighting and sports activities such as kayaking and scuba-diving, this move by Roadstone is simply crazy…”

Not one to back down from a fight – even when his opponents start playing dirty – this septuagenarian contrarian is determined to fight on, and plans to put together another appeal against An Bord Pleanála’s ruling.

“It’s going to take a little fundraising, but, if people are willing to contribute, I’m willing to fight on,” he finishes. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t keep trying…”

We’ll let you know when that campaign is up and running. Also, that groovy cover pic is by David Bridger.