BREAKING: Irish Water withdraws Lough Ree planning bid

Irish Water has withdrawn its current planning application to extract some nine million gallons of water a day from Killinure Lough, Lough Ree.

The State agency this evening announced that “additional environmental and technical surveys” have resulted in a number of design changes to the scheme.

The design changes primarily relate to the realignment of the pipeline route for the scheme.

As a result, Irish Water said it had withdrawn the planning application in order to accommodate these design changes.

However, today's statement stressed : “Irish Water will be submitting a revised planning application to incorporate these changes in the coming months.

“The revised application for the scheme will still have the capacity to treat and supply the current and future water supply demands of Athlone.”

The planning application initially lodged in December 2017 sought permission for  two major pieces of infrastructure at Portaneena, Killinure.

Plans for a raw water intake works and water treatment plant follow planning approval granted for the water extraction by An Bord Pleanala in 2007.

However, there has been significant local protests against the plan, in particular opposing the extraction of water from Killinure Lough, an inner lake of Lough Ree.

Here is the full statement from Irish Water:

 

Irish Water submitted a planning application to Westmeath County Council in December 2017 for the Killinure Lough Water Supply Scheme. This scheme is needed to ensure a safe and resilient water supply in Athlone. Since the submission of the planning application, Irish Water has carried out a number of additional environmental and technical surveys. The findings of the surveys have now resulted in a number of design changes to the scheme. Irish Water has withdrawn the planning application in order to accommodate these design changes, primarily the realignment of the pipeline route. Irish Water will be submitting a revised planning application to incorporate these changes in the coming months. The revised application for the scheme will still have the capacity to treat and supply the current and future water supply demands of Athlone. Interested parties will have the opportunity to view full details of the revised application once it has been submitted to Westmeath County Council.