The Gort Biogas Concern Group has this week expressed its disappointment at An Bord Pleanala’s move to postpone a decision on a planning appeal concerning proposals to develop a biogas plant near the town.
The first party appeal, by Sustainable Bio-Energy Limited, seeks to overturn a refusal of planning permission by Galway County Council for the facility, which has been proposed for a 10.01 hectare site to the north of Gort. If approved, the facility would be one of the largest of its kind in the country.
An Bord Pleanala had been due to decide on the appeal by April 30, but the board has now postponed the decision until June 24.
“Three years after the first planning application for one of Ireland’s largest biogas installations in Gort, there’s still no relief for the people of south Galway, who strongly opposed this plant from the very beginning,” the Gort Biogas Concern Group said in a statement this week. “Their main concern is the size and location of the plant and the effect it can have on the quality of life (heavy traffic, bad smells and air ) and on the nearby river and natural environment like Coole Turlough. Gort is simply the wrong location for such a large scale biogas development.
“The people of Gort, and the Gort Biogas Concern Group, support the decision of Galway County Council, and we hope that come June 24 An Bord Pleanala does so too.
