Decision due on nearly 100 new homes beside Portlaoise schools
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A decision is almost due in Portlaoise on a developer s plan to build 94 homes and apartments next to a school campus.
An application was first lodged to Laois County Council in December 2019 by Bircrest Ltd to build 63 houses and 28 apartments at Summerhill, Portlaoise.
Further information was requested last February regarding issues such as drainage, and finally received on December 18.
The greenfield 3.6 hectare site is between a land drainage pond and the Holy Family Schools, next to Summerhill Lane to be accessed off the Southern Circular Road, beside the N80 Stradbally road.
Driving on the ice in P.E.I. s Bygone Days
Driving on P.E.I. s frozen rivers was often the best way to get around by horse and sleigh and later by car on Prince Edward Island 100 years ago or more.
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A man named Bill Nelson in a horse-drawn sleigh on P.E.I. circa 1918.(PARO) comments
Reginald (Dutch) Thompson s column The Bygone Days brings you the voices of Island seniors, many of whom are now long-departed. These tales of the way things used to be offer a fascinating glimpse into the past. Every few weekends CBC P.E.I. brings you one of Dutch s columns.
Extreme weather events, including one of the hottest years on record, had a huge impact on wildlife here in 2020.
And there was a warning that man-made problems such as increased littering and more wildfires were also having a detrimental effect.
However, many species have seen a boost due to the pandemic lockdown, the National Trust said. Fewer people about during the peak breeding season of spring saw wildlife thrive in locations normally considered tourist hotspots.
Herons were seen on the lake at Mount Stewart and badger cubs spotted playing in the grounds during daylight.
And at the Giant s Causeway, reduced footfall on the stones allowed the Sea Thrift - or Sea Pink flower - to flourish among the basalt columns, a sight that is rarely seen.
The annual review of the year from the National Trust reveals the highlights – and some low points – for weather and wildlife in 2020.
– January: Warmer than average. Beavers were released into enclosures at Holnicote Estate in Somerset to manage water in the landscape and prevent flooding.
Hen harrier spotted wintering in the organic, nature-friendly farmland managed by the trust at the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire, the first the species has been seen there for more than five years.
– February: Wet, mild and stormy. Storm Ciara battered the beach at Formby, Merseyside, causing significant damage to the boardwalk and natural dune cliffs.