Major row brewing in East Cork over grain warehouse plans

Residents of Barryscourt near Carrigtwohill object to plans for Owenacurra Agri's barley storage and drying plant

Residents from Barryscourt, Ballintubber, and surrounding areas in East Cork at the entrance to the greenfield site where the barley drying facility may be built. Picture: Jim Coughlan

In a rural community steeped in the tradition of growing malting barley, a row has erupted over a grant of planning for a large grain storage and drying warehouse to help fuel Ireland’s burgeoning brewing and distilling industry.

Residents living near Carrigtwohill in east Cork have strongly criticised An Bord Pleanála’s decision to uphold Cork County Council’s grant of planning to Owenacurra Agri for a large four-storey 30,000-tonne-a-year warehouse on a greenfield site in the area, insisting it is not the right location for such a large operation.

It has pitched the needs of tillage farmers and the rapidly growing brewing industry against the desire of locals to protect the rural character of their area, and to limit further heavy truck movements on roads already under severe pressure from the quarrying operations in their area.

But, as the value of Irish whiskey exports soars, exceeding €1bn for the first time last year — and with Irish Distillers, unconnected to this situation, but planning a €250m expansion of its Midleton distillery nearby which will lead to a near 50% increase in its demand for barley and malted barley — it is a row likely to be seen again.

A computer-generated image of the proposed grain drying facility which has been granted planning in Barryscourt near Carrigtwohill in Co Cork.

Many residents gathered at the site of the proposed grain storage facility last week to demonstrate their anger, and said they have written to the board calling for a reversal of the decision ahead of the deadline later this week, for the lodging of a possible judicial review.

They say many of the issues cited by the board in its decision to refuse planning to another applicant for a much larger truck haulage depot operation on the same site in 2007 are still valid.

They say they have serious concerns about the development’s potential impact on the designated Metropolitan Cork greenbelt, on the rural character of the area, of its impact on the road network and road safety in an area already struggling to cope with heavy trucks linked to several extensive quarry operations, and on the potential for noise, pest, and dust nuisance.

They conducted their own 12-hour traffic survey last week which they say shows, unofficially at least, a 50% increase on traffic volumes compared to the applicant’s figures, some of which they say were gathered during covid, and do not reflect the reality on the ground. They said: 

No matter how it’s dressed up, and whatever boxes have been ticked off to make it technically viable for planners to give permission, getting up to 30,000 tonnes of barley in and out of this site annually is going to have a huge negative impact on us residents. 

In a statement, Owenacurra Agri said the company had engaged with concerned locals in the area prior to submitting the planning application. “All issues of concern have been dealt with through the planning process at both Cork County Council and An Bord Pleanála. The company would like to take the opportunity to thank all those in support of this project,” it said.

The site in Barryscourt is about 1.25km south of Carrigtwohill, about 1km along a local road from the N25. The 15th century Barryscourt Castle, which is undergoing restoration, is about 850m to the north west.

Barryscourt Castle, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork photographed last year during the extensive renovation and preservation work. Picture: Denis Minihane

Previous owners' plan rejected

The site was previously owned by BC Transport, which was refused planning in 2007 on four key grounds — including its location in the greenbelt — for a large haulage depot with parking for 100 trucks and 54 cars and a truck servicing building. 

It was considered at the time that the industrial nature of the depot would contravene specific objectives in the then county development plan to preserve the character of the greenbelt, and to reserve it generally for use as agriculture, open space, or recreation.

It was shot down also because of its location in an unserviced rural area, at a significant distance from the strategic road network, and on grounds that the proposed development could endanger public safety as the local road network was inadequate to cater for the substantial increase in truck movements likely to be generated by the depot.

Owenacurra Agri's successful plan

The site changed ownership and was eventually acquired in early 2020 by father and son, Maurice and Cormac Smiddy, who run Midleton-based Owenacurra Agri, a division of Southern Fuel and Farm Supplies.

Owenacurra Agri lodged a planning application with Cork County Council in March 2021 for the construction of a large 2,827 sq m agricultural grain store, with three storage bays, a silo, elevators, conveyors, and a drying and air handling plant on part of the site. No mock-up images showing the proposed structure were included in the application.

Some 46 submissions were made, most objecting to the development, many flagging a range of planning policy and road safety issues, which were also flagged in 2007.

One submission highlighted the scale of the proposed building in a rural setting, which at four storeys high, and four to five times as long, it said could be compared to an industrial unit normally found in industrial estates.

Residents from Barryscourt, Ballintubber, and surrounding areas in East Cork at the entrance to the greenfield site where the barley drying facility may be built. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Following a request for further information on a range of issues, including the development’s potential impact on roads and traffic, a raft of documents were submitted, including a visual impact assessment with CGI images of the proposed structure, and planning was granted in November 2021 with 44 conditions.

Decision appealed 

That decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by Pat and John Ahern, who live close by, by Frank and Catherine Brennan, and by Caroline Harte, whose submission residents say represents the vast majority of the 46 submissions made to the council. An observation was also made by An Taisce, flagging concerns about the potential visual impact on Barryscourt Castle.

The appeals argued that the grain store should be considered a commercial, and not an agricultural operation, they raised concerns about its impact on roads and road safety, on the visual character of the area, on nearby homes, of potential overshadowing of adjoining fields, as well as potential noise, dust, and pest nuisance.

Residents also pointed out that any road improvements since the rejected project in 2007 have been minor and cosmetic, and they pointed out that since, a major EU cycling route has been now designated nearby.

Inspector's report

In her report, An Bord Pleanála inspector Siobhán Carroll noted that since the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028 came into effect last June, the subject site is located outside of the area which is designated as “prominent and strategic metropolitan greenbelt” and is located on unzoned rural lands.

She said the development plan refers to agriculture and farm diversification and seeks to encourage the development of sustainable agriculture and related infrastructure including farm buildings. Ms Carroll added: 

I would consider that the proposed agricultural grain store does come within the scope of related agricultural infrastructure.

She accepted that the applicant had provided a clear case for the specific requirement for the grain store at this location, and said she considered it as an appropriate use to this rural area.

She said the proposal for green cladding on the warehouse and tree screening would reduce the visual intrusion upon the surrounding landscape to “low to imperceptible”.

She also said she was satisfied that the surrounding road network can accommodate the traffic levels which would be generated by the proposed development.

She recommended a condition imposing certain noise limits on the facility at certain times, the need for a comprehensive noise survey to be undertaken by the applicant during each grain drying season, and a condition dealing with dust emissions, dust control, and directing that there shall be no open storage of grain on the site.

However, residents said all the conditions in the world will make little or no difference, and they expressed concerns that operations at the site could expand in the future.

“The roads are not designed to accommodate current HGV traffic, not to mention the additional haulage of up to 30,000 tonnes of barley. The man on the street can see an agricultural farm being turned into a commercial warehousing centre in front of our eyes,” they said.