Ballyhooly residents are determined to fight plans to construct an anaerobic digestion plant in the area, they said at a meeting of over 150 people chaired by Liz Faye on Friday evening.

The facility at Killathy, Ballyhooly, Co Cork, would treat agricultural slurry for the production of renewable energy and fertiliser.

A local group opposing the project, Ballyhooly against Waste Digestion Plant, expressed its concerns about the increase in traffic through the village, odours, noise, flies, vermin, a potential gas explosion and a decrease in house prices should the new anaerobic digester plant get the go-ahead.

Arising out of the meeting, the local residents agreed that they will appeal against the proposal. They will engage with planning consultants to aid in the preparation of that submission to Cork County Council, who will decide whether or not the planning application for the project is granted.

Engaging

Many residents turned up at the meeting in Ballyhooly expecting to hear from the applicant, Mary Barry, who had said in a statement issued on her behalf by spokesperson PJ McCarthy that they were looking forward "to engaging with the local community and addressing their concerns".

However, just hours before the meeting, McCarthy issued a separate statement saying that no family members or professional representatives would be available to attend.

McCarthy told the Irish Farmers Journal that the project promoters found out too late that Friday's meeting was organised by an opposition group to adapt to the format of the meeting.

"It is our intention to meet the local community and have a public consultation to show them the layout of the plant and talk to the developer," he said, adding that this would happen in the coming days.

Regulation

"This is an on-farm anaerobic digestion plant. These people are local farming contractors and provide a service to the local community," McCarthy said.

Regarding the "legitimate concern of residents regarding gas explosion", he said that the plant would be regulated by Gas Networks Ireland under the Gas Act 1976, including oversight of its design, while "explosions may have happened in plants that were not regulated" in other countries.

"There are no plans for any commercial, household or industrial waste or dead animals" to be processed at the plant, said McCarthy, adding that it would use livestock slurry, rotation and catch crops from the area.

The initial plans submitted to Cork County Council by the Barry family were deemed invalid by the council, who has asked for further information in relation to the project.

The Ballyhooly against Waste Digestion Plant Group stated that it will wait until the new plans are submitted to the council, but insisted that they were opposed to any anaerobic digester plant in the area.

Additional reporting by Thomas Hubert.