A Sligo developer who dumped rubble from a building site into the Garavogue river has been ordered to remove the material immediately or face legal action.
Sligo Corporation issued the order to Cedar Construction after the borough engineer inspected the site of a new hotel on the banks of the river at Kennedy Parade.
On Tuesday, members of the Labour Party picketed the site and used wire-cutting equipment to remove metal fencing the construction company had erected on an adjacent green area.
Labour councillor Mr Declan Bree, who led the protest, said the developer had moved building materials on to the green area and then fenced it off. "The developer had no permission or authority to use or trespass on the green area," Mr Bree said.
He said the company had then added insult to injury by using the small green area as an access point to dump rubble into the river. The hotel is part of a development at Kennedy Parade by Cedar Construction which also includes a large apartment complex and retail units.
Sligo county secretary Mr Tim Caffrey said the site was inspected by the environmental pollution officer and the borough engineer after a complaint was made. He said a letter was issued ordering the company to restore a railing around the green area (the railing had been damaged) and to reinstate both the green area and the river bed. Mr Caffrey said the site would be inspected again after one week to see if the work had been done.
Mr Bree said he believed the corporation should have initiated legal proceedings against the developer immediately. "Issuing the order is a step in the right direction, but letters can be ignored.
"Most developers do comply with the regulations, and if the majority keep within the law, everybody should be forced to do so," Mr Bree added.
Sligo Corporation is also involved in legal proceedings against Cedar Construction in relation to non-compliance with fire regulations in the new hotel building.