The Supreme Court dismissed three separate grounds of objection against the planning granted for Glanbia/Royal A-ware’s cheese plant last week.

The most significant related to “alleged non-compliance with the EIA Directive, which requires direct and indirect significant environmental effects of a project to be assessed,” according to the case summary issued by the Supreme Court.

This, in essence, is the argument that the milk supply required to feed the plant should be taken into consideration as “a significant indirect effect that fell within the ambit” of the directive.

The written decision highlighted the conclusion drawn by the An Bord Pleanála inspector, that “the proposed factory would not in and of itself create a demand for milk.”

This was because “milk supplied to the factory would be sourced using existing supplies and a projected increase in productivity.”