Saturday, 14 May 2022 | 13.2°C Dublin
A pump house, located outside Donore, Meath is a water source for over 70k households in the Meath and Louth Area.
Despite ongoing objections from local residents against the installation of a pipe to dispose of waste water into the Boyne estuary, An Bord Pleanala have granted Dawn Meats conditional planning permission for the development.
T he application seeks to extend a 7.2km pipeline stretching from their site at Dunbia, Windmill Road, Navan to the River Boyne for the purpose of disposing of treated wastewater.
In a letter to residents in the area, it was confirmed that the company has received conditional permission for the development consisting of the construction of an extension to an existing wastewater treatment plant.
It was detailed that the works will include the demolition of an existing storage building to be replaced by a new single-storey industrial type building to enclose the DAF unit granted planning permission under reference LB180300, providing new enclosed storage and control rooms.
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Beside these plans, the company will also install a new sludge press at intake to WWTP (waste water treatment plant), changing aeration tank to anoxic tank while also installing a two number additional aeration tanks, alteration to perimeter bern in increase the footprint of WWTP by 539m squared to that granted planning permission under planning permission LB180300.
Additionally, a treated wastewater rising main is expected to be installed starting from the site of the proposed development to a new discharge point at the River Boyne, where the pipeline shall be laid along a section of Windmill Road, the L1013, Yellow Furze Road, the L1600, and the unnamed local road leading from the L1600 to the private lands abutting the River Boyne at the discharge point.
In a statement, Dawn Meats commented, “The planning application process for this multi-million Euro investment in waste water treatment is ongoing. We believe it will have a positive impact through the removal of tanker traffic from local roads, and third-party studies, including a Natura Impact Statement, have assessed no negative impact on the river Boyne or surrounding habitats. Our site in Slane is fully licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, who we engage with regularly, and the new equipment will clean waste water to international best practice standards.”
Residents who feel aggrieved by the decision have been advised to appeal it within four weeks of the date of the decision by forwarding their grounds of appeal to An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. The fee for an appeal against a decision of a Planning Authority is €220.
Members of the Facebook page, Save the Boyne have organised a petition in an effort to prevent the development.
They allege the development has been granted planning permission despite the fact that a resident has withdrawn their permission for the use of their land.
A public meeting took place on Tuesday night at the Mill House Hotel Slane, to discuss the An Bor Pleanala decision.
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