Angry Ramsgate residents will be lobbying a meeting of
Thanet Council’s Labour Cabinet at 6pm
on Thursday 19th February
The lobby is in opposition to proposals put forward by the O’Regan
Group to locate a waste wood processing and concrete block production facility
at the port of Ramsgate.
On 12 January almost 300 Ramsgate residents attended a
public meeting to discuss the O’Regan plans. Many people were worried by the noise and dust pollution which would be produced by the plant. Others were concerned by the additional
HGV traffic which will be generated and the impact that an unsightly industrial
facility on the towns seafront would have upon Ramsgate’s reviving tourist
industry. Concern was also expressed by the amount of water which would be used
in the processes planned on being carried out and how the resulting contaminated
water would be disposed of. There are
also very serious worries that the
nearby marine site of special scientific interest and the European special area
of conservation might be polluted by O’Regan’s activities.
Green Party Councillor and
PPC for South Thanet, Ian Driver is supporting the lobby. He has
discovered that the Council has held 5 secret meetings with the O’Regan Group in the past 8 months. The
Council’s Corporate Management Team and Cabinet have both discussed the
proposals and planning advice is being provided to the company. Driver’s
request to see documents relating these meetings as been refused. He will be
appealing to the Information Commissioner.
Driver has also discovered that the O’Regan group have a track record of pollution related incidents
in their native Ireland resulting in heavy fines and a High Court appearances. They
also have a chequered financial history.
Said Driver “the O’Regan
Group plans are far too risky to be allowed to take place in an area as environmentally
sensitive at Ramsgate Port. O’Regan’s financial track record and their involvement
in serious pollution incidents also means that they are entirely unsuitable to
be operating at the Port. I am 100% opposed to this company’s proposals and
will be joining the lobby on Thursday.
For more information contact Ian Driver on 07866588766
lorry movements will not affect the town as the port has its own accses road +it might just reopen fright traffic to ostend or more
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