New 'x-ray' tech plant in Offaly gets green light with 30 jobs in pipeline

A MAJOR sterilisation facility in Tullamore which will employ more than 30 people has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanala.

A number of local residents had objected to the proposal which will involve the construction of a building on a greenfield site on the Clara Road.

Synergy Health Ireland Ltd (also known as Steris) got the green light from Offaly County Council in January, 2024.

There had been objections on a number of grounds, including the maximum height, which at 22.5m including a flue, will be about twice as high as any building in the neighbouring Axis Business Park.

An inspector for An Bord Pleanala said she did not consider the proposed height either oppressive or obtrusive.

“The general locality from [Srah] to Ballyduff is associated with industrial buildings. The proposed development, in my opinion, will not look out of place, and represents a high quality design and finish,” the inspector's report said.

Objectors also had concerns about traffic and trucks and the company said there would be about 30 trucks in and the same number out each day.

The inspector said she was satisfied traffic impact and safety issues had been adequately addressed by the applicant.

She also noted plans for a two-metre wall at the boundary with one resident's site and 500 sq m of woodplanting and an extra five beech trees.

“The planting will serve to screen the facility form the adjoining residential properties north of the site.”

It is a condition of the permission that deliveries and loading to and from the site can only take between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, 8am and 2pm on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays or public holidays.

Noise limits have also been imposed.

Synergy Ireland already has a plant in the IDA Business Park in Srah.

The new development is a sterilisation technology facility which will have 6,726 sq m of floor space, including storage areas and offices.

While the central part of the proposed building will be 19.6m high, it will be between nine and 12m high either side.

“The building is setback 40 metres from the roadside boundary. The building is 141.5m from the dwelling to the north. There is ample separation distance between the building and dwellings on the opposite side of the R420 (Clara Road) which acts as a physical buffer area,” said the inspector.

In relation to one comment from one of those who appealed against the council's grant of permission, she said: “I do not agree with third party description that the proposal is primarily a warehouse and distribution centre. It is primarily a sterilization facility.”

She added: “I am satisfied that a Sterilisation Technology Facility, with ancillary offices, is in keeping with the Business or Technology Park zoning objective of the site.”

The sterilisation process will be carried out using x-rays and there were concerns about the amount of electricity required.

The inspector commented: “There are no chemicals used to generate the x-rays used in the sterilization process. The x-rays are produced by the same electricity used to power the homes abutting the facility. The by-product of the process is heat, which will be captured and used to heat the buildings. This will reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The sterilisation process is safe, and there will be no hazardous emissions.”

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