Cassidy Brothers have been instructed to close down one of its plants by Donegal County Council following a planning investigation.

The firm is one company caught up in the MICA defective blocks scandal.

The company was hit with an enforcement notice for the plant in Cranford where it has a concrete batching plant and storage yard.

Donegal County Council has also opened three unauthorised development cases in respect of other sites associated with the business.

The enforcement notice was issued by the council on October 21.

The concrete batching plant will now have to cease operation within eight weeks and all plant equipment removed from the lands.

All products for sale in the storage yard, including reinforced lintels, kerb stones, paving caps, pier caps, concrete blocks and stockpiles of sand must also be removed.

Cassidys has insisted its masonry blocks always met all required standards at point of manufacture.

Details of the enforcement notice and the existence of the three unauthorised development cases were disclosed to clients of Coleman Legal, a law firm representing around 200 parties affected by mica.

Donegal County Council confirmed to Independent.ie that each matter was the subject of active enforcement but declined to comment further.

In a statement, Cassidy Brothers said: “Donegal County Council has raised a number of planning issues with us and we are actively and constructively engaging with the council to address all of the said issues.

“Separately, we also note that it has been reported that the Housing Minister has ordered an audit of all quarries in County Donegal and again we welcome this development. We have and will continue to cooperate fully with any and all public or independent inquiries and studies.”

In a statement, Coleman Legal said clients had been liaising with the council for several months highlighting various planning discrepancies in relation to quarries in Co Donegal.

“As a result of these inquiries, we have learned an enforcement notice has been issued to close the concrete batching plant at Devlinmore, Cranford,” the firm said.

“Further investigations reveal unauthorised development files have been opened at Topmix, Magheraboy and Cassidy’s Quarry, Gransha, Buncrana and Cassidy’s blockmaking facility, Gransha, Buncrana.

“On behalf of our clients, we welcome any development that assists in full planning compliance for quarries. As the matter is shortly to be the subject of litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

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