Planning for ‘green’ heat system refused
An Bord Pleanála has ruled against the €16m combined heat and power plant earmarked for the Kerry town, which would have been one of the first towns in the country to have such a “green” system.
Killarney Town Council had already refused planning permission for the plant on the grounds its height and size would damage the amenities of nearby residential areas.
An appeal, lodged by the promoters of project Killarney Renewables Ltd, was rejected by An Bord Pleanála for similar reasons.
Initially, the council supported the project, in principle, but the size of the 1,765sq m building and its two 25m chimneys, as well as strong objections from local residents, led to its rejection. The council also maintained the building could detract from the scenery that underpins Killarney’s tourism industry. More than 100 objections had been received.
Up to 28,000 tonnes of woodchip would have been used to heat the water and the biomass plant would have been built on a former warehouse site, at Ballycasheen, on the Cork side of the town. More than 400 tonnes of ash would have been produced annually by the plant.
