Legality of 2017 Development
‘Clonmany, County Donegal’ (Timeline 2:00), ‘Ireland from the sky’ YouTube channel video.
The Parochial Field was substantially developed in 2017 in an attempt to level the field. The old football pitch was infamous for its diagonally downward slope towards the river.
The following series of photos taken 2 days (20/08/2024) before the devastating flood show the Topographical change to the Parochial Field when compared to the original/historical state of the Parochial Field as depicted in the above ‘Clonmany, County Donegal’ YouTube video and still from the video, posted to YouTube on the 24/10/2016.
Photos and a video were taken of the Parochial Field due the size of the cut and angle of the topsoil and subsoil removed directly beside my mother’s shed. This was concerning on multiple levels : subsidence, structural and the thought of the shed falling into the Parochial Field potentially causing injury. The biggest fear in all of this was due to Clonmany Festival funfair rides being placed in the vicinity of the shed, coupled with vibrations from all the funfair rides.
My mother nor our family were pre-notified of this development work and were in complete shock when it happened. This work was carried out pre the 2017 festival, July?? time.
I raised the concerns regarding the development and the shed with one of the Festival Committee members. This eventually led to the Festival Committee commissioning a Civil Engineer to investigate the concerns raised over the embankment.
John Bradley
The resultant Foyle Consulting Engineers report was dated 01/08/2018, 4 days prior to the start of the 2018 festival.
The Foyle Consulting Engineers report stated that “the excavation is not deemed to have any detrimental effect on the existing shed” and “the fairground operations that take place within the festival field wo have no effect on the existing shed”.
Extract from report.
Extract from report.
However, the Foyle Consulting Engineers report did propose enhancements/modifications to the embankment,
"to guard against any potential further erosion of exposed soil and to lesson any potential health and safety risks".
See Shed Embankment, Civil Engineer and New Embankment Concerns for more details of these Clonmany Festival Committee interactions, the Foyle Consulting Engineers report, report recommendations and 2024 new shed embankment concerns.
At the time of this 2017 development, it never occurred to me or our family that this development work in the Parochial Field could be illegal, in that no planning permission was sought nor no environmental impact assessment was carried out.
From an environmental point of view
- The roots of the trees that border the Parochial Field and my mother's property were butchered.
- No planning permission for this 2017 development exists
- No Environmental Impact Assessment exists on the Donegal County Council ePlan
website. (DCC ePlan Map)
- It is alleged that an Asbestos Pipe was discovered in the 2017 development.
- It was not referenced in the 2024 Planning Application, Natura Impact Statement report. Does this asbestos pipe exist?
John Bradley
The legality of this 2017 Parochial Field Development is now called into question.
- Does this level of development require planning permission?
- Does the depth of topsoil/subsoil removed require planning permission?
- Did the embankment cut beside the elderly lady's shed require prior Civil Engineering analysis?
- Did this development work require an Environmental Impact Assessment?
Would Donegal County Council Planning Department have given planning permission for this 2017 Parochial Field development as is?
Is this 2017 Parochial Field development work legal? If not, should the Parochial Field be returned to its pre 2017 development state?
