Waterford Council refuses planning permission for major Kilmeaden data centre

The proposal attracted hundreds of submissions and faced local opposition over its scale, infrastructure demands and potential environmental impact

There have been numerous protests in Kilmeaden against the proposed data centres.

Planning permission for a large-scale data centre in Kilmeaden, rural Waterford, has been refused by Waterford City and County Council.

The proposed development, first submitted in September 2025, attracted around 500 submissions and was the subject of recent go-slow protests through the village, which has approximately 300 residents.

The development was proposed by Crag Rathnew DC and Kent Homes Ltd, with major data centre developer Echelon also behind the project.

The development would have covered more than 108 hectares of land on the grounds of Kilmeaden’s former cheese factory. Plans also included a mixed-use building, a community centre and apartment buildings.

Sinn Féin TD welcomes decision 

Waterford Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness welcomed the decision to refuse planning permission.

“I want to commend everyone who made submissions, attended protests and stood together to oppose this proposal,” he said.

“The strength of feeling in the community was clear, and residents deserve great credit for the work they put into this campaign.

“This was not a minor development: it would have had an average electricity demand of approximately 203 megawatts.

“I have consistently argued that developments of this scale must be properly assessed in the context of their full environmental and infrastructure impacts. We will continue to stand resolutely with the Kilmeaden community and ensure their concerns are taken seriously.”