BREAKING: Go-ahead for Banagher beef processing plant

An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead for a controversial €25m beef processing plant in Banagher.

The board, on June 3, granted permission for the project at Boheradurrow and Meenwaun, Banagher, subject to 15 conditions.

It followed an almost 22-month assessment of an appeal by Desmond Kampff and Gwen Wordingham, Ballyeighter, Coolfin, Banagher, against Offaly County Council's grant of planning permission.

Banagher Chilling Ltd had been given planning approval by the local authority in July 2020 for the project which involves “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 near Banagher.

In its ruling this week, the board said the proposed development would be in accordance with national and regional policy on development in rural areas and the promotion of the agricultural sector and the local economy.

It said it would, pending the adoption of sectoral emissions plans, “not be such as to be contrary to the provisions of the Climate Action Plan, 2021”.

Included in the 15 conditions are that the slaughter rate be limited to 140 animals a day, averaged over a four week period, and that the facility must obtain an appropriate licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Construction works is limited to 7am to 7pm, Mondays to Fridays, and 8am to 2pm on Saturday and is not permitted on Sundays or public holidays.

An inspector's report on the appeal went before the board of An Bord Pleanála in mid-February, but a decision was deferred and instead the board sought further information on the indirect climate change impacts of the proposed development.

In further information provided, the applicant said it was not intending to apply for a non-EU licence and that Ireland did not have a trade agreement with China.

It said the factory would export frozen meat to the EU market and said it was intending to process 36,000 animals per year.

In their original submission, the appellants had argued that the proposed plant would be one of the largest in the country and the scale and impact had not been justified.

They cited a number of other rounds 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.

Banagher Chilling Limited said at the outset that the plant would employ up to 110 people as well as 250 jobs during construction.

See more in this week's Offaly Independent print edition.