Planning body reactivates application for proposed Cork Harbour incinerator

An Comisiún Pleanála has reactivated a years-old planning application for the construction of a €160m waste-to-energy incinerator in Cork Harbour.

The application, which was originally submitted in January 2016, was granted conditional planning permission in May 2018, but was subsequently quashed by order of the High Court in May 2021.

The facility, proposed by Indaver Ireland Limited, would principally operate as an incinerator for the treatment of up to 240,000 tonnes of hazardous and non-hazardous waste per annum.

The proposed development would be constructed at a 13.55-hectare site 800m East of Ringaskiddy, with access provided via the L2545, the main road from Ringaskiddy village to Haulbowline Island, which forms the Northern boundary of the site.

Last month, the planning body announced that “significant additional data” regarding the environmental impacts of the development had come to light, leading to a reactivation of the application.

Letter

Notice of this new information was provided to locals by An Comisiún Pleanála by way of a written letter dated September 25, enclosing a copy of communications sent to Indaver Ireland Limited from the planning authority.

In these communications, it advised: “This additional information contains significant additional data in relation to the effects on the environment of the proposed development”.

The letter further outlined requirements to publish a notice and make the information available for observations.

The notice was subsequently published on October 6, advising that parties or individuals who have already made a submission do not need to include a fee when making an observation.

Submissions

Submissions from new parties or individuals can be made to An Comisiún Pleanála, accompanied by a €50 fee.

A local group, the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Chase), was among a number of objectors to the development, seeing the application appealed to the High Court, where it was quashed.

In his ruling, Mr Justice David Barniville said that the planning authority’s decision was impacted by objective bias, as one of its members, the then deputy chairperson of the board, Conall Boland, had served as a consultant for Indaver Ireland Limited in 2004.

Following the latest update, a spokesperson for Chase said that this reactivation of the facility’s application is Indaver Ireland Limited’s latest “step in a long campaign to build an incinerator on a site clearly not fit for purpose”.

“[This] was agreed by all three oral hearing inspectors to date,” the spokesperson said. 

“It’s important to note that this is a reactivation of the existing application, rather than a new application. Even though the volume of information is akin to a new application. We are currently looking at this information.”

The closing date for submissions relating to the revised application has been set for November 17 at 5.30pm.