High Court issues order over proposed Mayo chicken farm

The High Court has made an order withdrawing planning permission for a chicken farm in central Mayo.

According to a report in today's Irish Times, the order was made by Mr. Justice Anthony Barr after he was told An Bord Pleanála had consented to overturning the permission it granted in September 2019 for a new poultry house and ancillary facilities at Brownhall Demense, Balla.

The board’s decision to give the green light to the poultry farm had been challenged by Michael O’Connor, who resides beside the proposed development.

The court heard yesterday that the board had agreed to pay Mr. O’Connor’s legal costs.

Permission had been granted to Noel and Ann Mulhern, principals of the wholesale egg producers West-a-Wake Eggs.

The proposed chicken farm was designed to house 12,000 laying hens with access to an open range, the newspaper reported.

Mayo County Council had refused permission and An Bord Pleanála's own inspector also recommended refusal.

However, the board decided to approve it

In his judicial review proceedings, Mr. O’Connor objected on grounds including noise and odour nuisance, groundwater pollution and the risk of disease to his lands from intensive poultry farming.

He also argued the development posed a risk to the River Moy Special Area of Conservation because the land drains into the Curryaphreaghaun Lough which feeds the Manulla River, which is a major tributary of the Moy.