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A MAJOR WHISKEY maturation site that was rejected by the local authority has been given the go-ahead by the national planning body, allaying industry fears of future drink-storage shortages.
As reported by Fora earlier this year, Westmeath County Council denied planning permission for Vault Storage Limited to build a €138 million whiskey maturation complex in Moyvore.
The company had applied to install 12 whiskey warehouses on a 100-acre site located 20 minutes from Mullingar.
The project aims to provide a facility where whiskey producers could store and mature their spirits in casks. This is a vital element of the production process as the spirit needs to be stored and matured for a minimum of three years to legally qualify as Irish whiskey.
Each warehouse would have had a capacity of 12,500 casks. The project was slated for completion in early 2020.
Westmeath council denied permission in February on the grounds that the development lacked “architectural merit” and would be at odds with the area’s “sensitive rural setting”.
Vault Storage Limited later appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála, describing concern residents’ fears that it would ‘scar’ the surrounding landscape as “unwarranted, unfounded and unsubstantiated”.
The national planning authority has since decided to grant permission for the multimillion-euro project.
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said it was appropriate to locate the whiskey maturation facilities “on lands away from built-up areas”.
Addressing some concerns that the warehouses could pose a fire hazard, the authority said the development was “acceptable in terms of public safety”.
It ruled that the project “would not seriously injure the visual amenities of the area of seriously detract from the scenic amenities and setting of this rural landscape”.
‘Clarity’
In a statement, Vault Storage Limited co-founder Alan Wright said the company is “pleased that An Bord Pleanála has looked favourably on our appeal”.
“We are also delighted that we can continue to contribute to the success of Irish whiskey,” he said.
The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) said that the sector had been looking at “a potential future shortage of maturation warehouse capacity”.
“Thankfully, this positive decision from An Bord Pleanála … means the Irish whiskey industry can be assured that this threatened bottleneck in the production process will be avoided,” IWA head William Lavelle said.
As previously explained by Fora, there were concerns among drinks producers that a lack of storage facilities in which to mature whiskey for a minimum of three years would prevent the sector from reaching its self-imposed target of selling 24 million cases by 2030.
Before An Bord Pleanála’s decision today, industry figures has sounded the alarm that whiskey warehousing could suffer the same fate as Apple’s doomed Athenry data centre project, which was scrapped earlier this year.
Data centres and whiskey warehouses share similar qualities as they both require vast amounts of land but employ few people in the long-term.
The IWA said the ruling on the Westmeath project will ”provide clarity” to local authorities on future applications for whiskey maturation warehousing.
Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie
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Why are the 3 of them going wouldn’t the president be enough
@John O brien: you know how it is. It’s about being seen. You would be more noticed by your absence.
@offside again: and a nice junket in the sun, why say no?
@John O brien: The president is an atheist. The government could at least send someone who the event has meaning.
@Mark R: He’s not only an atheist, he’s also a fully paid-up card carrying gob$hite!
@John O brien: the president represent Ireland.
the 2 others are unnecessary and should concentrate on their home work !!!
@John O brien: hopefully plane fall out the ski
@John O brien: hopefully the 3 of them will be ordained over there and STAY there for the
Hardly necessary to send the 3 of them over, one is enough. Free holiday for the boys
Parish Priest Lowry and Mother Superior Verona not going?
Yet they did not wish a Happy Easter to the country between them,avoided the term..hypocrites
@KO: That’s not true at all. Look up twitter. It’ll take you 2 minutes.
@honey badger: What, you mean it wasn’t done through the official government mouthpiece in rte
@honey badger: it is MM was badgered with requests to do so..forcing a response does not count
@KO: pathetic.
Of course Harris has to go with his I’m an important person facial expression
The 3 stogies are back together again. Ok, so the pope has passed on may he ready in peace. The question still remains, when are the religious orders going to acknowledge the hurt, suffering and pain they caused some citizens of our country and in other country. When are they going to pay their share for the damage inflected on our citizens and the country.
Why are 3 going?? Sure Micheal D is the man to go.
They might as well go sure the whole off Montrose is there already.
The irony of Mohammad Martin going to the Holy Father’s funeral.
If the Taoiseach, Tánaiste aka prime minister and deputy prime minister the holders of executive power and the President aka head of state, are all going to absent from Ireland, who holds the reins of power in the event of a national emergency, natural disaster, terrorist attack or the alleged imminent Russian invasion of Europe, which is prompting the EU to push to spend billions of Euros on defence over the next few years to do nothing but line the pockets of hedgefunds.
Don’t tell me it’s Paschal Donohoe…
@Dvsespaña: probably Lowry…
@Matt D: Lowry, sure he’ll take all them brown envelopes for himself.
@Dvsespaña: didn’t HealyRae look after us when the entire government took off on St Patrick’s weekend.
Martin and Harris have no business being there.
Seems a bit perverse that these three represent Ireland at such a gathering when their very vocal support for abortion, described by the late pontiff as the work of hitmen, should really rule them out.
@AnthonyK: Three hypocrites.
Very embarrassing thee of them going over
Larry, Moe and Curly.
It will present opportunities to share time with others who respect peace efforts Pope made and have important meetings on the sidelines and after and say a few prayers or sentiments.
@thomas molloy: what? You mean the pedo protector in chief?
Ah sure they are well entitled to a mid term break all the work they have made out to have done
Bill and Bob have to go together
Wonder how the three pro abortionists will be received?
@Billy Joe: Hopefully. they can enlighten the acolytes of that superstitous and backward cult.
The entire Cabinet should be present. It’s our beloved Pope who is being laid to rest. I’d go myself except I wasn’t invited.
@Paul Whitehead: at the taxpayers expense? Are you mad? For the head of a cult? And let’s be real that’s all it is.
@Paul Whitehead: he’s not my beloved pope . I’m a Protestant and my rights are guarenteed by our constitution .theres absolutely ref my no justification for the three of them going
Why not send Connor !. RIP to the Pope, sound like he didn’t want any of the fanfare.
@did you every wonder: because he’s a total gimp?
So just to be clear , the 3 great offices of the state ? And just who would be in charge if there was a national crisis of some sort . We live in a democracy not a theocracy . I’m respectful of those who have religious belief and I’ve also no problem with a representation at the funeral but many of us are of a different faith or none .
have your say