Tipperary residents react as major update emerges on biogas plant near rural homes

Plans for a proposed anaerobic digestion (AD) plant just 2km outside Tipperary Town have been deemed invalid by Tipperary County Council, following concerns raised about environmental impacts, traffic safety and land ownership.

The application, submitted by Andrew Kiely and Nephin Renewable Gas, sought permission to develop the plant at Ballynillard, outside the town.

The proposed facility would include three digesters, two digestate storage structures and a liquid feed tank, producing biomethane, carbon dioxide and a bio-based fertiliser.

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However, council planners ruled the application invalid on several grounds. One of the landowners where the development was proposed withdrew permission for their land to be used, while the council also raised concerns about increased traffic associated with the project.

Planners said the submission included an “insufficient analysis” of how traffic would affect local roads around the proposed site. “The road safety audit focuses primarily on the internal access road and site layout, with insufficient analysis of the R-662 interface, which is the critical risk point,” the council stated.

Environmental concerns were also highlighted, particularly regarding the potential impact on the nearby River Ara. According to the council, the proposal must be assessed under Article 4 of the EU Water Framework Directive, which prohibits developments that would cause further deterioration of surface or groundwater bodies.

They added that the applicant’s proposed emission limits would not be acceptable for discharge into the river and that revised lower emission levels would be required.

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Local campaigners have welcomed the council’s decision while acknowledging that the issue may not yet be fully resolved. Speaking to The Tipperary Star, Jamie O'Sullivan of the Ballynillard Biogas Concern Group said residents were surprised when the application was invalidated ahead of the original decision deadline of March 15.

“We are happy with the decision of the council and council planners. It was a surprise to us when we heard the news that they decided to invalidate the application before the original deadline date. We are glad that the issues we raised were taken seriously,” he said. 

Mr O’Sullivan noted that the invalidation does not necessarily mean the project has been abandoned. “We do understand that it is an invalidated application – in this case it is not fully resolved.

If the application had been refused it could potentially have been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála, whereas in this instance the application has been invalidated as incomplete,” he said.

He pointed to a similar situation involving a proposed biogas facility in Annaholty, where an application was invalidated before developers later reapplied.

“I guess you could say we are cautiously optimistic about the decision and hopefully they will find a more appropriate location for their facility,” he said.

Jamie also pointed out that the concern group had carried out their own independent environmental study which raised some interesting findings.

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According to Mr O’Sullivan, the study  identified that the proposed site lies within a karst landscape, a geological formation where soluble rocks such as limestone dissolve over time to create underground caves, fissures and channels. These formations often create direct connections between surface water and underground aquifers.

For this reason, developments proposed in karst regions typically require extensive hydrogeological assessments and strict environmental safeguards, and in some cases the geological vulnerability of the site may make it unsuitable for developments that carry a risk of groundwater contamination.

The proposed AD plant attracted more than 160 objections from local residents and organisations including the owners of a local stud farm. 

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