Many of you will be aware of the extensive mining heritage of the Avoca Mine site in County Wicklow, Ireland, and its international importance as a major copper and pyrite producer. The extant remains constitute the best historic mining landscape in Ireland, but this is under threat from so called 'remediation' works and removal of statutory protection.
The first draft of the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 excluded the spoil heaps and disturbed ground that surround the surviving buildings. Following representation from the Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland and the local community, a change (Amendment 99) to the Plan was proposed to include these features which are an integral part of the Avoca mining landscape which is valued by the local community, film directors, the Irish Diaspora and industrial archaeologists. These are a vital part of the Avoca mining landscape and their physical removal will severely devalue the integrity of this historic mining landscape.
However, the final draft of the plan now calls again for the removal of the land surrounding the buildings from the record of protected structures which could allow a developer to severely degrade the integrity of this historic mining landscape, and adversely affect the future economic and social benefits it could bring to the local community and the wider county.
The local heritage group at Avoca have started a petition, aimed at Wicklow County Council and the councillors, to maintain the protection of all of the mining landscape features at Avoca. This could be the last chance to save this internationally important mining landscape and we are hoping that our mining history friends will support this campaign.
See: https://www.change.org/p/wicklow-co-co-ask-wicklow-co-co-to-include-avoca-mines-in-amendment-99-of-the-co-development-plan-16-22?recruiter=607844927&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-reason_msg
Martin Critchley
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