Plan to extend Whitegate water facility upheld by An Bord Pleanála

Uisce Éireann say the Whitegate water-treatment plant extension will end boil-water notices.

A plan by Uisce Éireann to  improve drinking water in east Cork by extending a water-treatment plant has been approved by An Bord Pleanála, despite objections from some local residents.

The board has upheld the decision of Cork County Council to grant planning permission to extend the Whitegate regional water-treatment plant.

The board rejected two appeals by people living in the area against the plans for the plant, which is at Knocknamadderree, Kilva, Co Cork, around 1.5km northwest of the village of Cloyne.

The works would include the construction of 12 tanks, of which three are below ground.

An Bord Pleanála said the development would benefit public health and would not injure the amenities of the area or other properties.

All chemicals and other hazardous materials at the site will have to be securely stored and noise must be no louder than 55 decibels between 8am and 10pm and no louder than 45 decibels at any other time.

The board said the extension would also be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience.

Uisce Éireann — formerly known as Irish Water — has said that the multi-million euro extension would end the boil-water notices that have affected communities in east Cork.

The utility, in partnership with Cork County Council, has stated that the new water-treatment facility will serve 10,300 people.

It blamed problems with the water supply in the area on "various complex issues" and noted that the source of the supply was highly vulnerable to infection with cryptosporidium.

Uisce Éireann said supplies from the plant have been subject to boil-water notices for lengthy periods since January 2016, due to elevated turbidity following heavy rain.

However, it said there was "a clear and urgent need" for the infrastructure to ensure the protection of public health.

The company also said there would be no increase in the water-abstraction rate from the source spring, while the upgraded plant would have a capacity of 6,000 cubic metres per day.

While the two appellants acknowledged the need for a water-treatment plant in the area, they questioned if the chosen site was the correct location.

One of the objectors claimed the facility would be constructed on the highest point in east Cork, so that it would be seen from "as far away as the Galtee Mountains". She also expressed concern that there was no provision for parking for construction staff and associated machinery and said the development could create "a major traffic hazard". 

Another appellant said that the extension would give rise to significant road-safety issues and  questioned Uisce Éireann’s claim to owning a party boundary ditch.

In response to concerns about the visual impact of the extension, an inspector with An Bord Pleanála said there was an existing treatment plant and several telecom masts in the area.

The inspector said that notwithstanding that part of the site was designated as "high sensitivity", the landscape could not be considered "unspoilt or pristine".