“Residents are ready and willing to take things as far as they need to.”

Tullig, a small townland in West Cork, is contesting plans by West Cork Distillery to develop a major warehouse maturation facility in the area.

The Tullig and Reenascreena Community Group has submitted a 53-page objection to Cork County Council detailing their objections to the development, citing impact on the landscape, biodiversity, increased traffic and concerns over water supply.

As it stands, 121 residents of the small community have signed the objection, which will take up nearly 25,000 square metres. A website has also been created by the group.

“It’s a completely inappropriate development for the location,” said local resident Calvin Jones, whose house sits on a sharp bend along the route articulated HGVs would take to and from the proposed site.

“There are so many reasons a development like this just doesn’t belong here: the unsuitability of the local road network, the unquestionable visual impact, the impact on local wildlife and biodiversity, the inappropriate change in land use, not to mention the short, medium and long-term impact on the local community.”

The submission lists dozens of animals that inhabit the area. A young fox was photographed on the proposed site for the warehousing complex.

“We’re fighting this development because of the direct threat to our local community and rural way of life but it’s an issue that runs much deeper than that. If this gets the go ahead, it sets a dangerous precedent,” said Jones.

“The inappropriate sequestration of low-cost agricultural land for industrial development is something that has serious implications for rural communities not just in West Cork, but across Ireland.”

Group statement

A statement issued by the group says “Tullig and Reenascreena Community Group is hopeful Cork County Council will turn down the planning application, but residents are ready and willing to take things as far as they need to.”

Jones echoed this sentiment, saying: “We don’t think running roughshod over West Cork’s landscape, people and community sits comfortably alongside the image and branding West Cork Distillers has cultivated.

“So we’re calling on the company to be true to its West Cork heritage and values, drop this inappropriate planning application and build their industrial warehousing complex in a more suitable, industrially zoned location.”