A Clones based company   was ordered to close immediately by Judge Sean MacBride at Clones Court last week with the loss of five jobs . The plant which   manufactured fertiliser pellets from chicken manure was closed  following reports of an offensive smell coming  from it . It was also noted  that it had no planning permission for the production facility in the first place.

The case was brought against LRNR Ltd whose address was given in court as Corballis, Carlow Cross, Navan, but the plant in question was based on the Newbliss Road out of Clones.

The court heard from Monaghan County Council solicitor Enda O'Carroll that inspections by planning officials took place over the past two years  following reports from neighbouring householders of an disgusting  smell coming  from the plant. Planning permission was refused on March 10 last year and a notice to quit was served on the owners on January 12 of this year. Mr O'Carroll said the raw material was being dried in the back yard causing a very strong smell.

Monaghan County Council planning officer, Ronan Woods, told the court that the smell could be sensed  for over a half mile radius of the plant and was so bad that he had to wash his clothes after visiting the site. He said he had visited the site on a number of occasions including the day of the court and there had been no improvement.

Defending solicitor Tony Highland said the owners had asked the council to help but there was never any indication by the council as to what can be done to rectify the situation. However Judge Sean MacBride said it was not the council's place and it was up to the owners to sort out the problem. He added that it was not the function of the local authority. Mr. Highland said that as soon as the enforcement notice was sent they had sent a letter to the council.
Environmental engineer Patrick Fay gave evidence for the plant owners that there were attempts made by the plant owners to rectify the situation. He said that there had been intensive chicken farming on the site for many years and that they believed that the process of turning chicken manure into pellets would have been exempted. He said they were in the process of rectifying the situation when there was a fire at the plant and the company couldn't address the problem until it was operational.

Company director Niall Reynolds said after receiving a notice from Monaghan County Council on May 3 last they agreed not to process new material but there is still some material on the site which they are processing.

Mr O'Carroll said this was a continuing offence under the planning act.

Judge MacBride told Mr. Reynolds to give the court a sworn undertaking that they would stop operating immediately, which he did. Mr Highland said five local employees would lose their jobs. However, the company was fined €1,500 and ordered to pay a total of €1,793 in costs to Monaghan County Council within five months.