Planned Poolbeg incinerator gets Bord Pleanála go-ahead

The proposed Poolbeg incinerator, which will be Dublin's first municipal waste incinerator and one of the largest such facilities in Europe, has been granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála.

One of the most controversial developments to come before the board, the application for the incinerator by Dublin City Council attracted more than 2,500 objections. It was opposed by several politicians, including Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.

Mr Gormley said last night that he was disappointed by the decision and he would work to ensure the plant did not go ahead. Opposition politicians and residents' groups said he had failed in his promise to stop the incinerator and should now consider his position.

An Bord Pleanála unanimously approved the development attaching a few conditions, most of which have already been agreed by the council, and allowing construction of the facility on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis.

The approval is in accordance with the recommendation of its inspector, Pádraic Thornton, who held an oral hearing earlier this year on the development. However, while Mr Thornton recommended capping the amount of waste the facility could burn at 500,000 tonnes a year, the board has decided to approve the 600,000- tonne capacity applied for by the council.

In its decision the board said that any concerns in relation to air and water pollution did not justify reducing the capacity of the plant, and any restrictions that might be necessary would more properly be dealt with by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Although the council has permission it must secure a licence for the plant from the EPA. A spokeswoman for the agency said that it was "very close to making a decision" on the licence. If the council is successful it hopes to begin construction in late 2008 or early 2009.

The plant, as approved by the planning board, would be located on a 5½ hectare (13½ acre) site in Poolbeg, to the west of the regional sewage plant. The main incinerator building will be 200m (656ft) long, 130m wide and 52m high and will be adjoined by two 100m chimney stacks. The incineration process will provide enough electricity for the equivalent of 50,000 homes and heating for a further 60,000 in the locality, the council claims.

The board has attached 13 conditions to the planning permission, most of which - including €8 million for community gain projects - had been already agreed by the council.

However, the board has ordered specific traffic mitigation which will see refuse lorries not coming from the city centre compelled to use the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel to access the plant. Up to 150 a day are expected to use the site.

A stipulation has also been made that "piling" work, which involves hammering steel girders into the ground, can only take place between 7am and 9pm during construction.

However, all other construction work can continue 24-hours a day.

The plant is likely to take three years to complete.