Planning permission has been granted for the development of two large poultry sheds on the outskirts of Letterkenny.
Permission was granted to applicant Rodney Black following a prolonged appeals process to An Bord Pleanála, who approved of the project at a meeting in March.
The development at Rann, Letterkenny, will consist of two large poultry sheds with attached meal silos, effluent tanks, and other associated site upgrade works, including improvement of an access road.
Planning proposals state that each shed will be 91 metres long and 18 meters wide, with capacity for a maximum of 19,800 birds.
Conditional approval of the project was granted by Donegal County Council in 2023, but the matter was passed to An Bord Pleanála after an appeal, which included a petition signed by 20 people in the local area who opposed the development.
Concerns raised in the appeal were numerous, including potential noise pollution created by additional traffic in the area, the proximity of a number of homes, as well as environmental concerns.
As the development is based within the Lough Swilly Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Lough Swilly Special Protection Area (SPA), concerns were raised about the potential levels of air pollution emitted from the development and its potential impact on local water sources.
Meanwhile in their submissions to An Bord Pleanála, the applicant argued that the area was agricultural in nature and therefore the development type was appropriate.
The applicant also outlined measures to be taken to limit water and air pollution related to the site in line with good agricultural practices.
An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the development following the appeal, subject to a total of 21 conditions.
Such conditions improved the removal of effluent from the site to limit air pollution, the creation of an odour and waste management plan, and limitations regarding the hours in which large vehicles could access the site.
