Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A MAJOR WASTEWATER treatment plant in north Dublin has been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanála, despite significant opposition from locals.
Irish Water has said the plant, due to be located on a 29.8-hectare site in Clonshaugh, will facilitate “sustainable growth” of new homes and businesses in the area.
The plans will see an underground pipeline beginning at Blanchardstown that will collect and transfer wastewater, via a new pumping station at Abbotstown, to the facility in Clonshaugh.
Irish Water said the treated water will be “safely returned” to the Irish Sea through a 6km marine pipeline from Baldoyle to a point 1km north-east of Ireland’s Eye.
The project also includes development of facilities that Irish Water said will “ensure the effective running of the new wastewater treatment plant”.
These will include a regional sludge treatment centre at the site and an associated biosolids storage facility at Newtown near Kilshane Cross.
Irish Water now plans to progress with a detailed design and contractor procurement process. When this is complete, the construction stage is expected to take three years.
Opposition
Opponents to the plant have said they are ready to initiate a judicial review in the High Court.
“We accept that the sewage network is under pressure and we are willing to help Irish Water find another solution, but this isn’t it,” local campaigner Sabrina Joyce-Kemper said.
“We aren’t just being Nimby (not in my back yard) about this. It’s not just our back yard. This is the Irish Sea we are talking about, it’s everyone’s back yard,” Joyce-Kemper said.
Another opponent, Philip Swan, has argued that the Dublin coast is already under huge stress and that campaigners “utterly reject this decision”.
In its decision, An Board Pleanála (ABP) said the proposed development will “assist Ireland in meeting obligations set down under EU Directives, national legislation and planning policy which regulate development at a national, regional and local level”.
“The Greater Dublin Drainage Project components would enable sustainable residential and economic growth through the delivery of increased wastewater capacity while protecting the environment,” ABP said.
It is intended that the new wastewater treatment facility and associated infrastructure will become operational from 2026.
Irish Water expects the facility to have the capacity to provide wastewater treatment for the equivalent of half a million people living and working in the area in the future.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The water/ wastewater network is crumbling and over capacity due to decades of neglect by local councils. Only a few months ago there was a huge discharge into Dublin Bay from the South Dublin treatment platt, a north Dublin plant is years overdue but typical nimbyism rejections
@Patrick O Connell: screams NIMBYS… Untill it’s going through your area then you’re out with the crayolas making placards lol
@Patrick O Connell: The plant was originally planned for Lusk, Portrane and 2 sites in Kildare but was moved to the edge of Fingal County Council land as it will not affect anyone in their lands but rather it will impact on Dublin City Council constituents. Clonshaugh is not the best location for it as they have previously stated. Its not nimbyism, its an annoyance at the nimbyism of others.
@John: get with the programme john, everyones here to slag off clonsaugh and other local residents, your facts mean nothing here
@John: why is it not the best location?
@Vocal Outrage: Are surrounded by existing housing and more in progress, Nice view to have with people arriving to Ireland by plane, As said it was planned for LUSK and Fingal CC but moved to this site. More important no meets to allow people voice their concerns totally ignore written objections bet they won’t refund their fee.
The planning approval for this waste-water treatment project is great news for north Dublin, for public health and for Ireland generally. This is a good day for Irish infrastructure, which will benefit people locally and nationally.
The we need this but not I dont want it in my area brigade objecting I guess
@Alan Carthy: Ahhh their taking the piss now!!
‘We aren’t just being NIMBY’
Cool story.
I’m sure on paper it will meet the obligations set down under EU Directives, national legislation and planning policy! The reality will however be pollution of Dublin bay, loss of all North coast blue flags, loss of ecosystem along the route and no doubt deplorable stench.
@Andrew Dunne:so a state of the art waste water treatment plant with ultra violet irradiation discharges sewage into the sea.Mmm don’t think so. Suppose it best to delay construction of the much needed infrastructure and let the ever growing population of greater Dublin area produce more waste product which will never be effectively treated by current plants. In any event hasn’t the number of blue flag beaches on the east coast already dropped due to that very fact? Obviously this is the downside of greater Dublin hoovering up all the jobs. Come to limerick-plentiful beautiful water from the Shannon, no droughts and no boil water notices. Any residual flood problems will be relieved when Dublin starts nicking, sorry abstracting water from the Shannon as it runs out of the L’eau de Vie.
NIMBY but don’t put it in My backyard but on someone else’s. That’s the message I get from the local opposition.
The pipe line has to go somewhere unless we stop multiplying like rabbits.
And if the wast water is clean i see no problem. Although i do not know how it will impact some people.
@Hans Stofberg: birth rates have crashed in the western world and will continue to do so exponentially.
Put it on the southside
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: I think there is already a plant on the Southside
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: maybe put on the moon
@Vocal Outrage: Ringsend and Shankill
Seems to me that putting sharp angles including right angles like that in an untreated sewage pipe is asking for trouble.
@Sequoia: it’s a large overview map. There wont be any angles in the pipe.
@Sequoia:
Does anyone remember that clip from Zoolander?
Woosh
Just Woosh…
Far too much public consultation – the city’s infrastructure needs upgrading fast – build it
Irish water couldn’t manage a puddle. God help us with the help of fingal co co they’ll make a complete bill!x of it. Fingal design a bike/ walkway between Baldoyle and Portmarnock that is flooded and impassable before it’s even opened in a known flood area. What can possibly go wrong
Personally speaking I prefer the smell of Napalm in the morning.
I see it’s estimated to cost of €500,000,000 so just add on the usual extras and we have 1,750,000,000 thats more like it now.
A load of shite.
have your say