Kerrygold puts €40m expansion of Mitchelstown plant on hold
Plans to expand the site to double the production capacity of the The Kerrygold plant at Mitchelstown, Co Cork, have been put on hold. Picture: Clare Keogh
Plans for a €40m expansion of a Kerrygold plant in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, that will almost double the size of the existing facility have been put on hold following an objection by a local resident to the proposed development.
An appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Cork County Council to grant planning permission for an extension to the existing butter processing facility at the Kerrygold Park campus in the north Cork town.
Ornua, through its subsidiary Kerrygold Butter Packing Ireland, has sought approval for the expansion in order to increase the capacity of the plant, which opened in 2016, from 40,000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes per annum.
The new proposed facilities will include 1,550m² of new production space and almost 2,000m² of storage space as well as seven new 15-metre high liquid storage silos.
The company said the plans provided for new butter churn and cream processing infrastructure, two new packaging lines, and additional cold storage and distribution space.
Ornua said all access to and from the plant would continue to be via the existing access road to Castlefarm from the Kildorrery roundabout.
However, the appeal against the proposed expansion cites “unacceptable odours and nuisance” from unsealed heavy goods vehicles going to and from the plant via the town centre, contrary to existing planning conditions, as one of the main grounds of objection.
The appellant, a consultant engineer, said he did not object to the development in principle but was anxious that certain conditions would be attached to any grant of planning permission to address his concerns regarding traffic, odour, and noise.
They include the problem posed by lorries accessing the wastewater treatment plant that is also used by the adjoining Dairygold plant from the town.
He also expressed concern about the impact of the development on the environment as increased production would require more raw materials which would result in increases in cow herds and associated CO₂ and ammonia levels.
An Taisce also raised similar objections about the project with Cork County Council claiming existing milk production levels “are already causing significant and unlawful environmental damage”.
It is unclear if the heritage body, which controversially took a High Court action to try and block a €140m new cheese plant by Glanbia Ireland and Royal A-Ware in Co Kilkenny on similar grounds, will also lodge an appeal against the Ornua project.
The company, a commercial dairy co-operative formerly known as the Irish Dairy Board, aims to grow annual sales of Kerrygold dairy products to €2bn by 2025 with a particular focus on markets in the US, Germany, and Asia.
Kerrygold — which was launched by the well-known businessman, Tony O’Reilly, in 1962 — is regarded as Ireland's most successful food brand after becoming the first product to surpass €1bn in annual global sales in 2018.
According to Ornua, 8.6m packets of Kerrygold butter are sold every week in 110 different countries.
“This expansion is a key part of Ornua’s growth strategy to meet the growing global demand for Kerrygold butter and deliver value for 14,000 Irish farming families and Ornua’s member co-ops,” the company stated.
Around 120 staff are employed at Kerrygold Park, while the expansion is expected to create 30 additional permanent jobs as well as 120 jobs during the construction phase.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
