Additional consultation for major sewage plant project

AN Bord Pleanála has ordered Irish Water to investigate omissions in its planning application for a huge sewage plant at Clonshaugh.

Irish Water confirmed the development in a statement to Northside People. 

A spokesperson for the company said: “On June 20, Irish Water made a strategic infrastructure planning application for the Greater Dublin Drainage project to An Bord Pleanála. 

“On July 25, Irish Water notified An Bord Pleanála that it had discovered that a small number of the supporting appendices to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) were inadvertently omitted from the submitted documentation.

“The omitted information comprised a number of supporting appendices on the terrestrial and marine ground investigations and previously published project reports for the site investigation stage of the Regional Biosolids Storage Facility project.

“A number of drawings relating to landfill/quarry locations and road/rail/utilities crossings were also omitted.” 

The spokesperson pointed out that the omission of the supporting documentation does not impact the findings and conclusions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. 

“The data from these reports had already been incorporated in the main Environmental Impact Assessment Report,” the spokesperson said.

An Bord Pleanála has notified Irish Water that it intends to hold an additional period of statutory consultation for the Greater Dublin Drainage Project at Clonshaugh from Thursday, September 13 to Thursday, October 18.

Irish Water said it welcomes this direction from An Bord Pleanála and will place the GDD planning application and EIAR (including the previously omitted appendices) on public display at the following locations: 

• The Offices of An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1.

• The Offices of Fingal County Council, County Offices, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

• The Offices of Fingal County Council, Fingal County Hall, Main Street, Swords.

• The Offices of Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.

Dublin Bay North TD Tommy Broughan (Ind) said he welcomed An Bord Pleanála’s action. 

Deputy Broughan has strongly opposed the location of this plant in Clonshaugh over the past seven years, given the very close proximity of the site to thousands of North Coolock and North Fringe homes and to Dublin Airport. 

He recently submitted a very detailed objection to the location on behalf of his constituents.

“A further five weeks will have to be observed by Irish Water whereby the public can now make further submissions and observations,” said Deputy Broughan.

“New site notices will also have to be erected with a similar time limit. “An Bord Pleanála says that all those who made earlier submissions will not have to pay a further observer’s fee of €50.” 

Deputy Broughan has called on Irish Water to abandon the application and revert to its “earlier process to locate this central plant well 
away from residential housing in central 
Fingal”.

•Anyone with questions relating to the Greater Dublin Drainage project is advised to contact the project team at: 1890 44 55 67 (9am-5.30pm Monday-Friday except bank holidays)

Email:   [email protected]

Web:     www.greaterdublindrainage.ie