An application to plant 36ac of farmland outside Balla, Co Mayo, has sparked furious opposition from local residents.

The community at Craggagh, between Balla and Kiltimagh, accused forestry interests of attempting to bypass the planning process by planting the lands in sections.

Locals pointed out that the 36ac roadside block is part of a larger 186ac property, the remainder of which has been planted by various owners over the past 26 years.

The latest planting application was lodged last October by French-owned firm Woodland Invest. However, local residents have vowed to fight the application at Craggagh and to halt the spread of forestry in the area, with more than 250 people signing a petition opposing the development.

“Nobody wants a 30ft-high green wall of Sitka spruce up against their house or the national school, but that’s what we will have if this latest plantation goes ahead,” said Gerry Conroy of the Save Craggagh group.

“There’s more than 50% of the land in this townland planted.

“We have more than 200ha of forestry already; and there are three more farms in the pipeline to be planted,” Conroy said.

“As we asked in our letter to the Department [of Agriculture], when is enough?

“This area is being decimated by forestry. It is bringing a darkness over the whole place.

“The back of Craggagh Hill is a sea of plantations. Who wants to live in an isolated house surrounded by trees?” Conroy asked.

The local community is already battling to retain its national school, Conroy explained.

“We need more people, not more trees,” he said.

Conroy said there was also an issue of fairness in terms of planning and pollution control.

Locals were finding it extremely difficult to get planning for houses, while farmers were facing tighter environmental controls, but similar restrictions did not appear to apply to forestry, he maintained.

In its submission on the forestry application, the Save Craggagh group highlighted what it claims was the negative impact on water quality that the extensive plantations in the area have on tributaries of the River Pollagh, which itself flows into the Moy – one of Ireland’s leading salmon fisheries.

In addition, the submission pointed out that the plantation site included a ‘cillín’ – a traditional graveyard for unbaptised children.

The Department of Agriculture’s website indicates that a decision on the Craggagh forestry application is still pending.