Jobs at County Clare’s main landfill are to be protected as part of plans to close down the facility in Inagh.
Fears have been expressed for workers and local services with the likely closure of the Ballyduffbeg Waste Management Facility, but the council has confirmed that normal services for local consumers will remain, with staff to be redeployed.
A meeting of Clare County Council’s Environment Committee is now proposing that local councillors back the ending of commercial landfill activities in Inagh, in the knowledge that recycling and small wet waste facilities will be maintained similar to the civic amenities offered in Scarriff and Lisdeen.
The meeting heard that the mid-west region now has an abundance of landfill space that’s not required, and Ballyduffbeg resident Perry Long told Clare FM, that locals always felt the location of the landfill was the wrong decision
The meeting heard the Ballyduffbeg facility was once a cash cow for the county, bringing in over 6 million euro in its first year.
With that income down to just 2 million this year and the next phase of the landfill requiring a four million euro investment, the committee agreed that closure is inevitable.
Committee Member Maurice Harvey is concerned that a valuable local service could be lost though and wants the council to ensure the needs of local consumers are met in the civic amenity facility which will continue at Inagh.
