West Cork whiskey manufacturer refused planning permission for storage facility
Seán McCárthaigh
A west Cork whiskey manufacturer is facing the prospect of having to cancel plans for a large storage facility in a rural area about 7km from Kinsale after An Coimisiún Pleanála refused it retrospective permission for four bonded warehouses over concerns about what might happen in the event of a fire.
The Commission upheld an appeal against the decision of Cork County Council to approve the application by West Cork Distillers for retention permission for the change of use of a farm building to the bonded warehouses at Ballinreenlanig, Nohoval, Co Cork.
The local authority had also permitted a change of use of an existing open steel tank to a firefighting retention tank for a period of three years as well as the construction of a fire pump building.
A report by a planning inspector with An Coimisiún Pleanála showed the site’s owners were issued with an enforcement notice by Cork County Council in 2023 over the unauthorised use of a farm shed for storing whiskey.
However, the Commission rejected the inspector’s recommendation that retention permission should be granted for the bonded warehouses and firefighting system.
Planning commissioner, Mary Rose McGovern, said the Commission was not satisfied that West Cork Distillers had provided sufficient details about the proposed firefighting water drainage system or the storm water attenuation system.
Given the lack of adequate details, she said it was not satisfied that the proposed development and the retention of the bonded warehouses would not be prejudicial to public health.
The Commission also expressed concern that the facility could give rise to negative impacts on the surrounding environment.
Ms McGovern said it had not accepted the recommendation of its own planning inspector as the Commission did not share her opinion that proposed modifications to the original plans by West Cork Distillers would prevent any discharge or spillage into the watercourse.
The Commission acknowledged that the proposed storage facility, which has the capacity for 4,320 tonnes of whiskey, was below the threshold for it to be deemed a Seveso site – an EU classification for a high-risk industrial facility that stores large quantities of dangerous substances.
However, Ms McGovern said it shared the concerns of the environment section of Cork County Council about the proposed remote unmanned whiskey storage facility.
She pointed out that in the event of a fire or spillage, it would take considerable time for personnel to get to the site to control any incident.
Due to the absence of adequate details as to how any spillages or runoff would be controlled before the arrival of firefighting personnel, Ms McGovern said the Commission was not satisfied that the proposed facility would not be prejudicial to public health.
The council’s ruling had been appealed by a local resident, Helen O’Dowd, who claimed the storage facility posed a fire hazard, while articulated trucks visiting the site raised traffic safety issues.
West Cork Distillers rejected claims that an environmental impact assessment report was required.
It also rejected suggestions that the facility would impact on the rural character of the area.
The company stressed that all environmental and fire safety regulations would be fully complied with, and any spillages from the warehouse in the event of a fire would be diverted to a retention tank via drainage channels.
