Plan to use 250,000 tons of material to fill Laois gravel pit

A planning application has been lodged to use 250,000 tons of material to fill in a sand and gravel pit in Laois. 

Helena Ramsbottom lodged the application with Laois County Council for the site at Ballinaclough Lower, The Rath, Timahoe. 

She is seeking “permission to import up to 200,000 ton brownfield waste or article 27 material and 50,000 ton of greenfield material under Article 27 for the purpose of restoring a portion of an existing registered sand and gravel pit (QY05/11) to agricultural grassland, installation of a temporary wheel wash facility along with alterations to an existing site entrance at Ballinaclough Lower, The Rath, Timahoe, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.” 

Documents included with the application state that “the proposal is to import inert soil and stone (subsoil) from nearby construction sites to backfill the area of the worked-out sand and gravel pit and reinstate the area into grassland using topsoil  which is stored on site.”

“The area is within a registered quarry area which is 8.3ha. The infill area within this and the area of main activity for this proposal is 2.84ha however, some minor grading and re-seeding operations will occur on the areas between this main fill area and the site boundary to ensure the infill area blends into the existing farmland,” a document states. 

The application indicates that: “A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared and will be submitted along with the application to the planning authority. A waste facility permit will be required for the proposed development.”

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The planning application was lodged with Laois County Council on October 30 and a decision is expected to be made by January 2, 2026.