Gort Biogas Concern Group has announced plans to hold a public meeting on Monday, following the news that plans to develop a biogas plant just outside the town have been revived.
Sustainable Bio-Energy Limited, the company behind the proposed project, first applied for planning permission back in 2019 to develop a biogas plant on a 10.1-hectare site straddling the townlands of Ballynamantan, Kinincha and Glenbrack. The proposed plant would use anaerobic digestion technology to produce renewable energy and organic fertiliser.
The development was subsequently refused, appealed to An Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála ), and ultimately reached the High Court before being shelved following a judicial review in November 2023. As part of the High Court proceedings, the application was granted remittal, meaning it could be considered further if further information was requested and submitted.
Gort Biogas Concern Group, which has opposed the facility since its inception, received correspondence in recent weeks from An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP ) to the effect that further information has been submitted by the applicant, and the planning authority is now seeking fresh submissions on the application.
The company behind the application has submitted an updated Environmental Impact Assessment and Natura Impact Statement - the latter required due to the development site’s proximity to the Coole Garryland Complex Special Area of Conservation. A site notice has also been erected in recent weeks to this effect.
“We’ve received the developer’s response on this request and are preparing a detailed submission,” Gort Biogas Concern Group said in a statement this week. “Our response will highlight gaps, shortcomings and questions that remain unanswered, despite being raised by the community, Galway County Council and ACP itself. Describing information as ‘updated’, as the company does in its response, does not resolve those serious concerns.”
The local pressure group, which is run on a voluntary basis by residents of the town, now plans to hold a public meeting ahead of the deadline for submissions on the updated information.
The meeting will take place on Monday, November 2, at 7.30pm in Sullivan’s, Gort. Local representatives have been invited to join the audience.
“We will explain recent developments, the further information supplied by the developer, the shortcomings, etc in that document and what our community can do to support the submission by Gort Biogas Concern Group,” the statement added.
The deadline for submissions is November 19.
