LATEST: Planning battle back on as Tipperary biomethane plant refusal is appealed

Residents in the Killough area who had welcomed the refusal of a controversial biomethane plant are now facing a renewed planning battle after the decision was formally appealed.

Tipperary County Council refused planning permission in February for the proposed large-scale anaerobic digestion facility at Killough Quarry, near Thurles, which was a decision that had prompted relief among local residents following a prolonged campaign against the development.

The proposed 6.3-hectare facility by Roadstone Limited was intended to convert agricultural feedstock into biomethane gas, alongside producing electricity, fertiliser and other by-products.

However, the council rejected the application on several grounds, including insufficient information to properly assess environmental risks, concerns over road safety due to inadequate sightlines at the site entrance, and deficiencies in the Environmental Impact Assessment, particularly regarding alternative locations.

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At the time, local residents and campaign groups said they were “breathing a collective sigh of relief”, having raised concerns about water quality, traffic, air pollution and the site’s proximity to a regionally important aquifer.

Campaigners also stressed that while they support renewable energy, stronger regulation is needed to ensure such developments are located appropriately.

The issue has since escalated, with both Roadstone and the Killough Community Group lodging appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála, setting the stage for a fresh examination of the project at national level.

Roadstone is contesting the refusal, arguing that the concerns raised, particularly around road safety, can be addressed through relatively minor changes such as revised road markings and adjustments to the site entrance.

The company has also maintained that the Killough Quarry is the only suitable location for the development, as the plant is designed to supply renewable energy directly to the existing quarry operations as part of its wider decarbonisation strategy.

The proposal forms part of broader plans by the company to roll out similar bio-renewable facilities across a number of its sites nationwide in pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Meanwhile, the Killough Community Group has also appealed, not to overturn the refusal, but to strengthen it, arguing that additional grounds should have been included.

Among their concerns is that the development does not align with local climate action targets or the County Development Plan, and that insufficient consideration was given to alternative sites such as the Lisheen Bioeconomy Campus, which has been identified as a more appropriate location for such projects.

Residents have also reiterated concerns around road safety, noise, dust, air quality, groundwater protection and the potential impact of quarry blasting on nearby homes.

The dispute highlights an ongoing tension between the push for renewable energy infrastructure and the concerns of rural communities over siting, safety and environmental protection.

An Coimisiún Pleanála is now expected to rule on the appeal in the coming months, with a decision anticipated by early July.

Until then, what had been seen locally as a settled outcome has once again become an active and closely watched planning battle.