Green Limerick: Fences make for bad neighbours
THE INSTALLATION of a fence around the perimeter of the Johnson and Johnson facility in Castletroy has caused a stir among members of the environmental profession.
The fence which surrounds a large portion of the Johnson and Johnson site was mainly installed in 2022 but is not yet completed and has been accused of not appropriately assessing the fence location upon installation and being hazardous to wildlife such as otters who use the area close to the lower River Shannon.
Completion of the fence has been postponed until the badger mating season is over according to a spokesperson for Johnson and Johnson.
The main concerns come from the independent provider of ecology surveys and environmental management services, Ecofact, who say the fence’s lack of mammal passages would damage the wildlife in the area.
Dr Will O’Connor of EcoFact believes that an appropriate assessment of the site was not done as a report on otters in the area was not conducted.
“These fences are going in all over the Castletroy area in the so-called greenway,” he said.
“When the rivers flood wildlife is blocked from accessing those areas. No thought has gone into these.
“There was no assessment into otters done in the area and I have recorded otters in the area where the fence is built,” Dr O’Connor added.
A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) said, “Planning permission was granted to Johnson and Johnson for the erection of a fence and gate to the northern boundary of the site.
“The Planning Authority assessed the proposals in accordance with the policies and objectives of the Limerick Development Plan and taking into account the submissions received during the application process,” the spokesperson said.
According to Johnson and Johnson, the fence has been fitted in stages, following three separate planning applications.
At each planning stage, an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) was prepared by the independent consulting company SLR Consulting Ireland (SLR).
The fence in question was installed due to anti-social behaviour in the area which posed a security and fire risk.
Also according to Johnson and Johnson, mammal passes are yet to be installed but have been postponed due to the badger mating season.
“Mammal passes will be installed once the fencing is complete, to allow badgers to move in and out of the fencing area. To date, these are planned for later this year,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Johnson and Johnson Vision in Castletroy have said they have recognised its responsibility to help protect the environment and are “committed to creating a more sustainable future”.
“We have a longstanding biodiversity programme at our Limerick site and take care to ensure that any changes we make are sensitive to the local environment,” added the spokesperson.