Council turns down plan for Clara bottling plant
A planning application for a water bottling plant on a site in Clara has been turned down by Offaly County Council who said the proposed industrial development and the “ancillary noise and traffic” it would generate would contravene the Offaly County Development Plan. The application was submitted to the local planning authority in April by Clara Water Ltd, which sought approval for a partial change of use of S&L Clara Sport and Leisure Centre to a water bottling plant, at Clashawaun, along the Ballycumber Road in the town. Among the three reasons given by council planners for refusing the proposed development is that it is located on land zoned as 'community/service facilities.” “It it is an objective of the Council to provide necessary community, social, health, public administration and educational services and facilities on such lands," said the council and the development of “light industrial development” on such lands would contravene the County Development Plan.
The planners also expressed concerns about the “ancillary noise and traffic” that would be generated as a result of proposed industrial development on the Clashawaun site, which adjoins existing houses, and said it would conflict with the objective of the Offaly County Development Plan which seeks to “protect and enhance the amenity and character of developed residential communities”
The 0.38 hectare site of the proposed bottling plant is adjacent to the existing Clara leisure centre, which has a gym, squash courts and a number of playing courts. According to planning documents, the bottling plant would cover an area of 505 square metres, or 5,400 square feet of space.
The proposed facility would include clean room facilities; a bottling area; small laboratory, office and welfare facilities. A raw materials store, finished products store and packing/unpacking areas would also be provided, while the construction of a pump house and associated pumping equipment, together with related site development works also form part of the planning application.
The applicants had also sought retention permission for a temporary demountable pump house structure at Clashawaun but this was also refused by the planning authority.