HC Deb 03 December 1996 vol 286 cc625-6W
Mr. Dowd

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the result of the Magheramorne landfill public inquiry will be made known. [6370]

Mr. Moss

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Planning Service under its chief executive, Mr. T. W. Stewart. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from T. W. Stewart to Mr. Jim Dowd, dated 29 November 1996: Mr Moss has asked me to reply to your recent question about the result of the public inquiry into the proposed landfill site at Magheramorne, Co Antrim The Planning Service hopes to issue a decision on the planning application for a landfill site at Magheramorne early in 1997.

Mr. Dowd

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the Lame sewerage scheme modelling study is deemed suitable for tidal flow predications in the Magheramorne landfill inquiry; and what account will be taken of the use of a different discharge point in the Magheramorne scheme. [6369]

Mr. Moss

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Environment and Heritage Service under its chief executive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Robert C. Martin to Mr. J. Dowd, dated 29 November 1996: As Chief Executive of Environment and Heritage Service, I am responsible for all operational aspects of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland's environmental policies. I am therefore responding to the Parliamentary Question which you put down in the House of Commons on 26 November 1996 "to ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the Larne Sewage Scheme modelling study is deemed suitable for tidal flow predictions in the Magheramorne landfill inquiry; and what account will be taken of the use of a different discharge point in the Magheramorne scheme". The modelling studies for both the Larne Sewage scheme and the predicted release of leachate from the proposed landfill site at Magheramorne Quarry, Larne used the same modelling package. Part of the package included a hydrodynamic model of Larne Lough, which was constructed to predict tidal flow characteristics within the Lough. The Magheramorne study considered what the effects would be from each of two possible identified discharge points into the Lough. Validation data for the hydrodynamic model was included as part of the study. Evidence on the adequacy of the model, including the need for a third party audit, was presented at the Public Inquiry into the planning application for the proposed landfill site. The inquiry sat for approximately seven weeks in May and June of this year and heard evidence on a wide range of issues. The report of the Planning Appeals Commissioner has not, as yet, been published. This Service is currently in receipt of an application for a discharge consent under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 and will be guided by the findings of the report on the modelling issue. In order not to be seen to prejudge the Commissioner's report we will decide, after consideration of the report, what is any additional information may be required from the application in order to assist in the determination of the application. I trust you will find this reply helpful.