Plans for Rhode landfill facility are appealed to An Bord Pleanála

A rural community on the outskirts of the north Offaly village of Rhode will know by April of next year if plans for a major waste management facility which could process up to 90,000 tonnes of waste per year are to be given the go-ahead.

The decision of Offaly County Council to grant planning permission to Oxigen Environmental Unlimited Company on November 7 last, subject to 23 conditions, has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála, with that body due to make a final decision by April 12 next. The appeal has been lodged by Claire Smale-Murray, acting on behalf of the Residents of Rhode and Croghan Community, and by a group called Residents of Rochfortbridge.

Oxigen Environmental originally lodged plans for the controversial landfill facility on a 1,417 sq.m site at Derryarkin, Rhode in September of last year, which stated that it would accept and process up to 90,000 tonnes of household, commercial and construction waste once it became operational.

The plans encountered major opposition from the local north Offaly community with over 100 residents and local elected representatives, including the current Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, and local Fianna Fail Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, making submissions to the planning authority.

In a very detailed submission which runs to almost 80 pages, the Residents of Rhode and Croghan Community state that the grounds of their appeal focuses on environmental concerns, impact on hydrology and water quality and infrastructural concerns. The appeal lists the names of 363 objectors.

In relation to site selection, the appeal states that the potential impact of the proposed development on “this quiet rural locality has been severely underestimated” and that the cumulative impact on locals “both from traffic, noise, air pollution and degradation of roads have not been remotely considered.”

The objectors question the choice of a location in east Offaly “almost 25km from the largest town in the county” which will entail “significant transportation of waste out to this rural location from the towns only for municipal solid waste to have to be transported “back across the county for landfill and incineration.” They point out that a number of sites which were considered around Tullamore would have offered “significant benefits” in terms of optimal location, due to their close proximity to the largest town in the county.

They also raise issue with what they describe as the “over-industrialisation of a single rural location” and itemise a list of nine other planned developments which are either “under consideration, mid-construction or already operating” in their local area, which they say is “an excessive level of industrialisation and development of a small rural community which boasts just 841 inhabitants.” They further state that the community is “hemmed in on all fronts” by these big developments which is imposing significant changes on the “character and landscape of our village and surrounding area.”

In relation to the socio-economic impact, the appeal states that residents of both Rhode and Rochfortbridge are agreed that there will be “limited to no beneficial impact” on their villages as a result of the proposed development. They also refer to the lack of community engagement which, they say, has led them to conclude that “there can be no trust” placed in the developers to keep the “health and safety of our communities and environment at the forefront of all their proposed activities.” They add that the company has disregarded the concerns of those who live in the area.

They have also raised concerns about road, traffic and transport impacts and strongly dispute the statement from Oxigen that traffic disruption “will be minimal” following construction of the facility at Derryarkin.

They state that the development will lead to “an unprecedented increase” in HGV traffic on the “badly-maintained R400” and they also raise concerns about the impacts on air quality from the huge increase in road traffic emissions and also from the dust generated during the construction phase of the project.

Other issues highlighted in the submission from the Residents of Rhode and Croghan Community relate to odours, the impact on flora and fauna, birds and fish, geology, hydrology and water quality and the impact on the cultural heritage of the areas.

In conclusion, the submission states that the community objections to the proposed development by Oxigen Environmental at Derryarkin are rooted in concerns about its “cumulative environmental impact, lack of transparency and the significant threats it poses to various aspects of the local environment.”

They add that “with one voice” the community sought an “in-depth and independent review” of the project's “potential consequences on the local environment” and point out that transparency and community involvement “are paramount” in ensuring that developments such as the one proposed “are in the best interests of the local community and the environment.”

In the submission on behalf of the Residents of Rochfortsbridge, Cathryn Whelehan states that the area is “less than 2km” from the proposed development and is designated for eco-tourism under the Just Transition programme.

They cite concerns about the “massive amount of truck movements” through Rochfortbridge, Rhode and other adjacent towns with “high schoolgoing populations and narrow streets” and point out that the road for all traffic in and out of the proposed facility is “a very narrow road which barely allows two cars to pass, and already has serious industrial traffic on it.”

The appeal also expresses concerns about the health impacts on the area and states that the “odours can be very nauseating” and points out that landfill is the “least preferred option” of every modern waste plan. “”Basically, landfill is a Stone Age solution to a 21st century problem,” the submission states.

The group has requested an oral hearing, and among the other areas of concern expressed in the appeal are local planning; flora and fauna; noise and air pollution; smells; flies; birds; rodents and the impact on tourism, agriculture and local dwellings.

The appeal lodged by the Residents of Rochfortbridge lists the names of almost 300 local residents who are opposed to the plans for the waste management facility in Derryarkin.