The number of animals to be slaughtered at a new meat plant at Banagher, Co Offaly, is estimated at 36,000 per annum. This is as An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission for the contentious €40m Chinese-backed processing plant.
Permission was given after the board’s inspector, Stephen Kay, found that “the proposed development would not be likely to have a significant negative environmental impact in terms of climate”.
The appeals board also found that the meat processing plant would not, pending the adoption of sectoral emissions plan, be contrary to the provisions of the Climate Action Plan 2021; “seriously injure the visual amenities of the area”; have a significant negative impact on the lands; would not depreciate the value of properties in the area; and posed no pollution risk.
The board’s view was that the scheme would have a positive impact on the local and wider economy.
Bord Pleanala’s decision is the outcome of an appeal lodged by a local environmentalist Desmond Kampff and co-appellant, Gwen Wordingham. They lodged an appeal against the Offaly Co. Council decision to grant planning permission for the proposed plant at a site at Boheradurrow and Meenwaun, 3km southeast of Banagher.
Plans for the facility were first lodged in July 2019. The processing capacity was estimated to be 40 tonnes of meat per day, catering for 140 cattle per day.
The board concluded that the proposal would be in accordance with national and regional policy on development in rural areas, and the promotion of the agricultural sector and the rural economy.