Waste facility in Offaly turned down by An Bord Pleanala after Council gave permission

A plan for a waste management facility in Rhode has been turned down by An Bord Pleanala.

Oxigen Environmental was granted permission nearly a year ago by Offaly County Council to build the materials recovery facility at Derryarkin.

A number of local people objected and appeals were lodged by Residents of Rhode and Croghan Community and Residents of Rochfortbridge.

Local Fianna Fail representative Cllr Claire Murray chaired the Rhode and Croghan community group and on Monday (September 23), she said notification had been received that An Bord Pleanala had refused permission for the facility.

“It's great news for everyone in Rhode and everyone that was on the committee and that was quite worried about what it would mean if the proposal got approved, or if the plans were approved,” said Cllr Murray.

The green light was given by the council planners after numerous objections from local people who said the site was unsuitable.

Oxigen owns the site where the facility would have been located. There were disused agricultural sheds on the site.
It is close to a piggery and a Kilmurray sand and gravel plant and is off the R400 road between Rhode and Rochfortbridge, 4km from the Westmeath town and 5.5km from Rhode.

Oxigen hoped that when fully operational the facility would receive and process up to 90,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste each year.

Objectors claimed the area, where wind farm development is prominent and where Bord na Mona has plans for significant power projects, is already over developed.

Residents pointed in particular to the R400 road which lies on a peat foundation and was closed for a long period because of a bridge collapse.

According to documents submitted by Oxigen to the council, the nearest house is 755 metres away and while “some levels of odour” would be generated they would have a “negligible impact”.

The applicants said the facility will be the company's first in Offaly, Laois, Kildare or Westmeath authorised to accept municipal solid waste.

Oxigen's facility near Daingean is limited to accepting construction and demolition skip waste.

The application said because of diminishing dependence on landfill, there is a need for additional materials recovery facilities to promote the separation, recovery and recycling of wastes in support of circular economy objectives.

In the case of construction and demolition waste, the applicant said only 7% was recycled in 2019.

When the council sought further information from Oxigen, the company said it would not be accepting any hazardous construction and demolition waste at the facility.

Most of the processing of material would be indoors and if timber shredding had to take place outside, it would not be done during dry or windy weather.

A condition of the planning permission was that no hazardous waste be accepted. Also, Oxigen was told to resurface 20 metres of the junction with the R400 road in accordance with guidelines for peat roads and was also to carry out an audit of the road within six months of the facility becoming operational.

The facility would be allowed operate from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1.30pm on Saturday with no operations on Sundays.