An appeal to An Bord Pleanala recently taken by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, has successfully prevented the destruction of the landmark Arklow Rock by quarrying. This 125m high headland, which is visible from a wide area of both land and sea across south east county Wicklow and the north east of County Wexford, was threatened by an extension of a long established quarry.

 

Although permission was given for extension to the quarry; due to requests made by the charity, the summit and surrounding area of Arklow Rock have been protected. The conditions given with the permission mean that extraction shall only be carried out vertically, by deepening the quarry rather than by extending horizontally and biting into the coastal feature.

 

The Board stated in its reasons for this condition was that it was “in the interest of visual amenity and recreational amenity in this designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to protect the proposed National Heritage Area…”

 

An Taisce has welcomed this decision in securing the protection of an important landscape feature of the east coast.

 

For further information please contact

Ian Lumley heritage officer An Taisce 01 4541786