North Offaly gravel extraction project gets go-ahead

Plans for the development of a sand and gravel extraction facility with the capacity to export up to 100,000 tonnes per year have been given the green light by Offaly County Council.

Precast concrete firm BD Flood is behind the planned development, which is to be situated on a 19.5 hectare greenfield site at Derryarkin townland in Croghan, Rhode, some two kilometres south of Offaly's border with Westmeath.

Last October, the company submitted a detailed planning application for the phased extraction of sand and gravel over an area of some 11.7 hectares, along with processing such as crushing and screening.

The company proposed carrying out the extraction, followed by restoration of the site, within a period of 15 years. A letter of consent from the landowner was included with the planning application.

The planned sand and gravel extraction is to be "wet working", meaning it would be taking place beneath the natural groundwater level of the site.

According to the applicant, the extracted and processed materials would then be used in the manufacture of concrete at BD Flood's concrete batching facility in Derryarkin, some 600 metres from the site.

Facilities proposed for the extraction site include a "mobile welfare pod" consisting of an office, canteen, toilet and drying room; along with a dedicated parking area.

The planning application states that access to the site is from an "unmarked local road that serves the existing Derrycoffey Sand and Gravel Pit, BD Flood Concrete Plant, and the Skeagh Farms Piggery".

The company said the facility will operate for five and a half days a week, 48 weeks per year, with two staff members "directly" emplyed at the site as well as "a further estimate of three sub-contractors, hauliers and service providers on-site on a regular basis".

Materials are due to be transported from the site in loads of 20 tonnes at a time, the plans stated.

"The soils at the site will be stripped and stored on site during the extraction of the sand and gravel material, and will be used for the restoration of the site to return it to a beneficial biodiversity habitat and permanent waterbody after-use," it was added.

The planning application outlines that BD Flood "is one of the main producers of precast concrete products, readymix concrete, aggregates and concrete blocks in the Midlands region".

The company has its headquarters in Oldcastle, Meath, and supplies a range of products to the building trade, the farming industry and the housing sector.

Its sand and gravel extraction project near Rhode was approved by Offaly County Council on Tuesday of this week, April 14, subject to 18 conditions.

At the time of writing, the conditions attached to the grant of planning permission had not yet been published by the council.