Panda Waste will lodge plans directly to An Bord Pleanála to seek permission to double waste processing capacity at its west Dublin site to 350,000 tonnes of waste per annum.
Currently, Panda Waste has capacity to process 150,000 tonnes of solid municipal waste at the site and the firm is proposing a 133 per cent increase to 350,000 tonnes of waste at the Ballymount Industrial Estate on Ballymount Road Upper, Dublin 24.
In preliminary submissions to the appeals board, Panda Waste outlined the need for the proposed development, pointing to the loss of waste processing sites in the Dublin area and the increased need for increased capacity.
An Bord Pleanála inspector's report into the proposal states that “traffic, air, noise and visual impact were acknowledged as being the principal environmental concerns relating to a proposal of this nature”.
The board has now ruled that the plans by the Panda Waste firm, Starrus Eco Holdings Ltd, constitute a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) and the firm can now lodge its planning application direct with the appeals board.
The Panda Waste Ballymount site to be redeveloped is bounded by other premises that are primarily enterprise and employment uses, while the nearest homes are in estates to the west and south-east of the industrial estate, the nearest being across the motorway.
In the preliminary talks with the appeals board, Panda Waste said it was clarified at a meeting with South Dublin County Council no objection was raised to the proposal relating to the zoning provisions for the site or to the intended 24-hour operations.
The firm stated that the proposal would address some of the capacity issues arising in Dublin and would be of strategic economic importance to both the State and the Dublin region.
Kevin Moore, a senior planning inspector with the appeals board, concluded that the proposals constituted a SID as the proposed development would lead to increased capacity at the existing facility, which in turn would be of strategic importance in meeting the target to reduce the disposal of waste to landfill driving higher levels of waste segregation.
Mr Moore said the proposal would be of strategic importance to the State and the eastern and midlands region, and would contribute substantially to the fulfilment of the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the regional economic strategy.
He said the proposed development accords with national and regional objectives to manage waste sustainably and support the principles of the circular economy.
