Plans for major Rhode waste facility turned down

Plans for a waste management facility in Rhode with a capacity to receive and process up to 90,000 tonnes of waste per year have been turned down by An Bord Pleanála.

Offaly County Council granted planning permission, subject to 23 conditions, to Oxigen Environmental Unlimited Company on November 7 last year for the major landfill development at a rural localtion called Derryarkin.

The 1,417 sq. metre site, which is owned by Oxigen, is located off the R400 rural road between Rhode and Rochfortbridge, and is approximately 5.5 kilometres from Rhode and 4 kilometres from Rochfortbridge.

Local residents in the vicinity of the planned development mounted a strong campaign of opposition which resulted in over 100 submissions being made to the planning authority.

In its ruling, An Bord Pleanála cited two reasons for refusing permission for the Oxigen facility in Derryarkin, including concerns about access to the proposed development via “a narrow rural road” which already provides vehicular access for “substantial existing commercial development” adjoining the site, and exiting onto the R400 regional road.

The board noted that the R400 regional road is already identified in the Offaly County Development Plan as being a “Restricted Regional Route” and said it was “not satisfied” that the proposed development, in conjunction with the large amount of existing commercial development in the same area would not be likely to create a traffic hazard and endanger public safety “from conflict of vehicles on a substandard rural road.”

It also said it could be “in conflict” with the Development Plan policy for the R400 road “through the creation of additional vehicular traffic on an identified restricted regional route.”

An Bord Pleanála also noted that the nature of the proposed development by Oxigen was “distinct from” the pig farm, quarry and wind farm developments adjoining or proximate to the appeal site, and described these developments as being “location specific in the rural area.”

The Oxigen planning application was also refused by the planning appeals board on the grounds that it could “adversely affect” the integrity of two European sites, the River Boyne and the River Blackwater Special Areas of Conservation.

“In such circumstances, the Board is precluded from granting permission” the ruling stated, adding that this conclusion is based on lack of certainty in relation to the use of water for firefighting and the inadequacy of proposed monitoring of “surface water discharges.”

The ruling from An Bord Pleanála was accompanied by a comprehensive 105 page Inspector's Report that examined all aspects of the proposed development in detail.

Two third-party appeals were submitted to An Bord Pleanála, one by newly-elected Fianna Fáil Cllr for the Edenderry Electoral Area, Claire Murray on behalf of the residents of Rhode and Croghan Community and the second by Cathryn Whelehan, on behalf of the concerned residents in Rochfortbridge.