Fresh bid for major waste facility in Rhode

A renewed bid for planning permission for a major waste management facility in Rhode - with a capacity to receive and process up to 90,000 tonnes of waste per year – has been submitted to Offaly County Council.

The initial plans by Oxigen Environmental Unlimited Company for the facility at Derryarkin, Rhode, were met with much opposition in the communities of Rhode, Croghan and Rochfortbridge, and was turned down by An Bord Pleanála in October 2024.

In its new application, Fehily Timoney (agents for Oxigen) said that matters raised and reasons for the previous refusal has been “comprehensively and robustly addressed”.

Prior to An Bord Pleanála's decision, Offaly County Council had granted planning permission, subject to 23 conditions, to Oxigen for the major development.

The site, which is owned by Oxigen, is located off the R400 rural road between Rhode and Rochfortbridge, and is approximately 5.5 kilometres from Rhode and 4 kilometres from Rochfortbridge.

At that time, local residents in the vicinity mounted strong opposition to the development which resulted in over 100 submissions being made to the planning authority.

In its ruling, An Bord Pleanála cited two reasons for refusing permission for the Oxigen facility in Derryarkin: concerns about access to the proposed development via “a narrow rural road”, and that the nature of the proposed development by Oxigen was “distinct from” the pig farm, quarry and wind farm developments adjoining or proximate to the site, and described these developments as being “location specific in the rural area.”

The new application states that the proposed development will consist of the demolition of existing agricultural sheds and structures on-site, and the construction and operation of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for the acceptance and processing of up to 90,000 tonnes per annum of household, commercial and industrial (C&I), and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. It is proposed the development will accept up to 50,000 tonnes of waste per annum and operate under a Waste Facility Permit (WFP) from Offaly County Council during Phase 1 of operations. It's further proposed for the development to accept up to 90,000 tonnes of waste per annum and operate under an Industrial Emissions (IE) Licence from the EPA during Phase 2 of operations.

Submissions on the new planning application must be made by November 2, and at time of writing one submission has already been lodged.

Offaly County Council is due to make a decision on the application on November 23.