€20m landfill to close in Wexford

Wexford County Council is planning to close its waste management facility at Holmestown, just three years after opening it at…

Wexford County Council is planning to close its waste management facility at Holmestown, just three years after opening it at a cost of €20 million.

The landfill and recycling centre opened in June 2008 at Holmestown, Barntown. The 32-acre landfill is designed to accommodate 900,000 tonnes of domestic waste in 10 phases, giving it a lifespan of 20 years.

However, the first five-acre cell is almost full and with a cost of close to €1 million attached to “opening” the next cell, the council is instead planning to close the loss-making facility, “mothballing” it for a number of years before possibly selling it to a private operator.