Planning approved to extend facilities at Ballyhaise
The Agriculture and Food Development Authority was seeking permission for a suckler shed extension, a livestock underpass with an effluent tank and a sheep shed with underground slatted tanks.
Planning was also approved for a wash and boot area, medicine store, toilet, office and training room and all associated site works.
As part of the application for the development, Teagasc submitted its fertiliser plan for Ballyhaise Agricultural College to the council's planning department.
Planning for the extension was granted subject to 22 conditions. Cavan County Council has ordered that the design and construction of all approvals shall be in accordance with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) specifications.
The college herd, which is spring calving, is part of the Teagasc Moorepark Dairy Research programme. Facilities include a modern 12 unit herringbone milking parlour with automatic drafting, slatted houses, calving pens and isolation boxes.
Planning permission
Meanwhile, planning permission has also been granted by Mayo County Council to construct an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant near Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
The proposed AD plant on a site of approximately 4.4ha will take in 90,000 tonnes of locally sourced manure/slurry, whole crop silage and other organic material to produce biomethane.
The planning application was submitted by local pig farmer John Sheridan and Nephin Renewable Gas and the application states that 71 local farmers are willing to supply feedstock to the proposed plant.
The development would involve the construction of three digesters which would be around 16m in height, two digestate storage structures, two pump houses and two liquid feed tanks.
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