Big news for development in Limerick village as waste water treatment plant approved

UISCE Eireann has been given the green light to acquire land to build a new waste-water treatment plant in Hospital.

The State utility firm, formerly known as Irish Water, applied for permission to compulsorily purchase land for the development of the treatment plant.

The green light was given earlier this month.

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In deciding to approve the purchase, an inspector with An Coimisiún Pleanála, formerly An Bord Pleanala, noted the existing treatment plant in the village is “significantly overloaded”.

“It is currently designed to cater for a capacity of a 500 population equivalent. However, the current loading into the plant is 1,186 population equivalent. This is a result in a deterioration in the quality of water in the River Mahore,” the inspector stated in their report.

There was one objection to the acquisition, from a landowner.

They claimed the purchase of the land would result in the loss of land for a proposed solar project.

This, they argued, would result in the loss of 950,000 kilowatts-per-hour each year.

However, the commission’s inspector said they have reviewed the local planning register, and there is no record of any application for a solar farm on the lands.

The inspector recommended permission be granted for the waste-water plant.

They pointed to the need to “alleviate the current hydraulic and biological overloading of the Hospital waste-water treatment plan”.

Local councillor Eddie Ryan has welcomed the approval.

“Hospital has been crying out for this for years, and I believe the community will be glad to see it happen,” he said.