An Bord Pleanála has refused to grant planning for an agricultural shed to store organic compost and biosolids in Galway.

In 2022, farmer Pa McHugh from Dunmore, Galway, applied for a 758m2 shed to store up to 12,000t of compost and biosolids each year.

Material

The material would be delivered from Irish Water’s wastewater treatment plants in Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim and Monaghan.

The proposed shed would see on average 6.5 deliveries from heavy goods vehicles per week.

The material would then be spread on farmland.

Conditions

McHugh was originally granted permission by Galway County Council, subject to 11 conditions, however this was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

The planning authority then refused planning permission on the grounds of insufficient information on odour and water management plans, as well as the number of vehicle movements that would be generated by the development.