Banagher meat plant ruling delay
A decision by An Bord Pleanála on an appeal against Offaly County Council's decision to grant planning permission to a proposed €25m meat processing facility in Banagher has been delayed.
Desmond Kampff, Ballyeighter, Coolfin, Banagher, and Gwen Wordingham, Cummeen Lodge, Banagher, lodged an appeal to the planning board in August, backed by a number of other signatories, seeking the overturning of the council's grant of planning permission.
An Bord Pleanála had been due to issue its ruling on Monday, January 4 next, but a spokesperson confirmed a decision has been deferred for a couple of weeks.
Banagher Chilling Ltd. was given planning approval on July 26, by Offaly County Council, subject to 21 conditions, for what’s described as a single storey extension to the existing abattoir and the construction of a food processing factory of 4,925 square metres, on a 19.6 hectare site at Boheradurrow and Meenwaun, Banagher.
In their joint appeal, Mr Kampff and Ms Wordingham cited a number of grounds including concerns over the licensing status of the facility, the applicant company’s experience in the industry, the need for the facility, whether the local authority had adhered to government policy and whether the proposal would provide the suggested local jobs dividend.
They say that it is not the case that the facility is ‘currently used as an abattoir’ or that it holds an ‘existing licence’.
They say that the Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed to them that there is no active licence in place for the site.
“We have also confirmed with the relevant bodies that licences related to the operation of any previous abattoir on the site are non-transferable to a new facility, and the applicant will need to apply for such once construction is complete.”
They argue that that the possibility that such licences would not be granted should be considered in the planning process.
They expressed concern that the plant has been “misrepresented” as a development which will bring a big employment boost to the local area.
Instead, the appellants point out that the meat processing industry is well known for its dependence on migrant labour, with migrants reported to account for 58% of the workforce.
Previously, the development had run into difficulties when an Immigrant Investment Programme application associated with the project was rejected.
The programme, set up in 2012 to encourage inward investment from outside Europe, offers residency status to those who invest €1 million in Ireland for a minimum of three years.
The application was refused by an evaluation committee in the Department of Justice.
Laois-Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has expressed confidence that a new application would not be refused and said that details contained in a Department of Agriculture submission to the evaluation committee were not accurate.