Aran Island water storage plan springs a leak

Attempts to provide additional water storage facilities on an off-shore Galway island has been rejected on the grounds that the structure being proposed would not be “sympathetic to the landscape”.

Irish Water had been granted planning permission for the provision of two raw water storage tanks on Inis Meáin but this decision has been successfully appealed by a local resident.

It was argued that the additional water storage on the island would have an unacceptable visual impact. It was also stated that it would contravene a legal agreement dating back to 1983 which states that no structure higher than five feet would be erected on the site in question.

The planning application from Irish Water sought to construct two storage tanks measuring 5.4 metres (just under 18 feet) in height at a two acre-site on the island.

There are two separate sites on the island which accommodate existing water tanks and they are located around 250 metres apart. They are situated on relatively flat, low-lying land.

The existing water tanks reach heights of up to six metres (20 feet). They are mainly concrete tanks with no dwellings in the vicinity of one of the sites with two houses situated close to the other site.

It was proposed to provide additional raw water storage tanks on both sites which, according to Irish Water, would eliminate the necessity to import water from the mainland.

An environmental impact assessment screening report was submitted with the application and concluded that the development would have no adverse consequences.

However, the decision by Galway County Council to grant permission for the water tanks was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by resident Teresa Uí Fhatharta on the grounds of the sensitive landscape designation on the island.

The appeal relates to the development of a reservoir on what is referred to as the ‘upper site’ while concerns were expressed about the actual need for such extensive water storage facilities on the island.

It is stated in the appeal that there is an historic agreement in place with a previous co-op on the island that no further buildings of any significance would be built on this site. This, she said, is being ignored by Irish Water.

She said that the existing tanks already have a significant impact on their home, which is located close by and that the new proposal would have an adverse impact on her son’s dwelling.

Legal documentation was produced stating that the co-op on the island had given a commitment not to build any additional tanks on the upper site.

In overturning the decision of Galway County Council, An Bord Pleanála said that the design of the additional tanks is not sympathetic to the landscape and integrates poorly with the existing tanks at both the upper and lower sites.

While the inspector with An Bord Pleanála recommended a grant of planning for a single tank only, the board concluded that this might not meet the water storage needs and that Irish Water might re-examine their proposal in its totality.