The planning board rejected an appeal by WP Kearns Ltd of Ballyarnett House, Derry against Donegal County Council’s refusal of permission for 41 houses at Drumaweir, Greencastle.

An Bord Pleanala’s decision read, in part: “Without the certainty of the implementation of the Greencastle/Moville public sewerage scheme for which 9.3m euro has been allocated by the DoE...I believe the substandard sanitation services and related drainage capacity existing within Greencastle facilitating the proposed development to be a fatal flaw.”

Colr Marian McDonald was speaking at a recent meeting of the council’s Inishowen Electoral Area Committee in Carndonagh. She told the meeting that, as far back as 2002, a new system was planned to replace the service. “The money’s there from the Department of the Environment, but it still hasn’t gone ahead”.

In fact, the ABP judgement pointed out that the project had been listed in each Water Services Investment Programme since 2002 but has again been set back to “start in 2009” and described the need for the plant as “urgent”.

Area head of water, environment and emergency services Con McLaughlin acknowledged: “We’re all aware of the long process with regard to the progressing that capital project.”

An Bord Pleanana’s also specifically rejected the developer’s proposal to drill bore holes.

“I also express serious concern re. the acceptability of the proposed on-site private treatment and discharge directly into what the Water Services Authority references as a vulnerable water catchment area. Under the current circumstances, this is an inappropriate means of circumventing the real problem that seriously challenges the development of this site.

Mr McLaughlin welcomed this comment, saying: “This endorses our position, that bore holes are not the answer to the problem.”