Observation pack · Westmeath County Council

Oldtown , Rochfortbridge , Co. Westmeath

use of field for scouting purposes as a permanent base for 9th Westmeath Milltownpass Scout Group, including outdoor activities and camping; use of the existing agricultural shed for storage and purposes ancillary to the scouting use of the site; construction of a purpose-built single-storey Scout Den with ancillary community use; provision of a new vehicular entrance from the L5125; drop-off and collection, car parking, and turning areas; surface water drainage; connection to the public water supply; installation of an on-site wastewater treatment system comprising a septic tank and percolation area; landscaping and boundary works; and all associated site development works

Observations close 16 Oct 2026 23 days left

5 weeks from receipt (received 11 Sept 2026) · s.34 Planning and Development Act 2000 · art. 29 Regulations 2001 · fee €20

The application

Reference: 2660486 · full record
Authority: Westmeath County Council
Type: PERMISSION
Status: INCOMPLETED APPLICATION
Applicant: not published by the national dataset — see the council register
Units: 0
Floor area: —
Site area: 9,349 m²
Received: 11 Sept 2026
We first saw it: 22 Sept 2026, 16:10
Decision due: —
Decision: N/a

The national dataset truncates descriptions (80 characters for DLR, 70 for Fingal) and omits the applicant. The full description and the drawings are on the council register linked in step 1.

How to submit an observation

Read the file on the council register.Drawings, planning statement and site notices are at http://www.eplanning.ie/WestmeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660486/0.
Write your observation.Quote 2660486 at the top, give your name and the address the authority should reply to, and confine it to planning matters — zoning objective, height, overlooking, traffic, drainage, heritage. What you say here is what you can later appeal on.
Pay the €20 fee.Every submission needs it; without it the observation is invalid and is returned. Westmeath County Council takes it online with the submission or at the counter.
Submit before 16 Oct 2026.Online through the register above, or in writing to the Planning Department, Westmeath County Council. The test is the date the authority receives it, not the date you post it.
Keep the acknowledgement.The council's receipt is your proof of a valid observation — see below.

Statutory basis. Section 34(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) requires a planning authority to consider any submission or observation made to it in accordance with the Regulations. Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) sets the window: a submission or observation must be received by the authority within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the application, and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of €20. A submission received after the window, or without the fee, is invalid and the authority must return it.

After you submit: keep the acknowledgement. Under the 2024 Act it secures your right to appeal — only the applicant and a person who made a valid observation may bring the council's decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, within four weeks of the decision. Making a valid observation is also what buys a right of appeal: under s.37(1) of the 2000 Act, only the applicant and a person who made a valid submission or observation to the planning authority may appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála (within four weeks of the decision). Missing the five-week window closes both doors.

What the site is zoned

No current zoning polygon covers this site in the store.

Designations on or near the site

Nothing designated within 100 m of the site.

Nearby precedents within 500 m, last 5 years

Decisions

Reference	Decision	Decided	Units	Distance	Description
2660166	Conditional	19 Aug 2026	0	399 m	A) Retention of silage pit B) Retention of Straw storage shed C) Retention of underground slatted slurry storage tank D) Retention of milking parlour and cow collecting yard with underground slatted storage tank E) Retention of demolition of disused milking parlour F) Construction of an agricultural build with cubicles and straw bedded area and all associated site works
2560344	Conditional	2 Jun 2026	0	0 m	the development of a Data Centre Facility and Decentralised Energy Resource within an overall development boundary area of 243 hectares comprising: • 1 No. Security control building (floor area 23.5m2). • 6 No. new data buildings including administration blocks (each 228m x 62m x 18m high), 6 No. MV switch room buildings, within a secure campus having an area of 39 hectares, 1 No. fire water tank (Volume: 2000m3), pump house and proprietary modular water treatment plant. • 6 No. fuel cell towers (each 89m x 29m x 20m high), 2 No. chilled water tanks (Volume: 1000m3 each), pump house, ancillary water tank (Volume: 2000m3), carbon dioxide process building (30.7m x 15.7m x 11.3m high) and 16 No. carbon dioxide storage tanks (100 tonnes each). • Ancillary equipment compound including a storage building (30.7m x 10.7m x 9.7m high), 2 No. diesel generators, fire water tank (Volume: 2000m3) and pump house and proprietary modular water treatment plant. • Above ground gas installation (AGI) compound including a boiler/instrument kiosk, regulator/metal skid kiosk and connection to the existing gas network within the site. • 33kV IPP building (60.9m x 18.4m x 16.8m high), 1 No. telecoms tower 36m high and compound. • Fuel cell IPP building (40m x 9.8m x 7.1m high) and compound. • Solar farm IPP building (30m x 9.8m x 7.1m high) and compound. • Battery compound including 138 No. battery enclosures & 138 No. medium voltage power stations (MVPS), IPP building (40m x 9.8m x 7.1m high) and fire water tank (Volume: 500m3). • Proprietary modular water treatment plant serving the solar farm IPP building and battery compound IPP building. • Solar farm (168 hectares) to the east of the data campus facility including solar arrays measuring (10.2m x 6.9m), (20.4m x 6.9m) & (30.6 x 6.9m), 45 No. medium voltage power stations (MVPS), 5 No. weather stations, river crossings, internal gravel access roads, security fencing and gates, 3 No. temporary construction compounds, cable crossings in the R446, L11272 & L51251 public roads, and cable crossing under the M6 using horizontal directional drilling. • Connection to public sewer under the R446 public road. • New emergency only access/egress from the R446 public road. • Access/egress to the data centre campus facility through the existing Castlelost Flexgen and GIS substation access to the R446. • Demolition of the existing derelict dwelling and agricultural sheds. • All associated site works including
2460053	Conditional	23 Apr 2024	0	27 m	development which will consist of alterations to the development consented under Westmeath Planning Case Ref. 21/515 (parent permission) and are as follows: (i) reconfiguration of structures and pipework within the above ground installation (AGI) compound, (ii) increase the size of gas oil (secondary fuel) storage tanks and bund and realignment of tanks within the bund, (iii) remove one consented emergency diesel generator from the development layout and reposition of the second consented emergency diesel generator alongside an LV switchroom, (iv) reposition palisade fence associated with ancillary equipment compound approximately 15m to the west, (v) reconfigure and reposition fuel pumps (polishing and forwarding), MCC equipment, fire water pump, fire water tank and air compressor adjacent to the southern side of the secondary fuel storage bund, (vi) remove water treatment module and ammonia storage tank from the development layout, (vii) remove two distribution transformers from the development layout and reposition the remaining three consented distribution transformers to the ancillary equipment compound to the west, (viii) remove five gas turbine selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units and associated ancillary components (fans), (ix) reposition of two high voltage (HV) transformers within the HV transformer compound and installation of a third HV transformer in lieu of the HV transformer consented under Planning Permission Ref. 21/532, and (x) associated minor changes to internal roads, civil engineering, drainage, landscaping, lighting, car parking, and site works. The development alterations relate to Westmeath Planning Case Ref. 21/515, which is a development that is for an activity requiring an Industrial Emissions Licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2360442	Conditional	20 Feb 2024	0	21 m	development which will consist of (i) the construction of a new Administration/Control Building at a new location within the site in lieu of the IPP Building granted under planning Ref. No. 21/515, (ii) the construction of a new Workshop Building at a new location within the site in lieu of the Administration/Workshop Building granted under Planning Ref. No. 21/515, and (iii) associated minor changes to internal roads, civil engineering, drainage, landscaping, lighting, car parking, and site works. The development alterations are with respect to Planning Ref No. 21/515, which is a development that is for the purpose of an activity requiring an Industrial Emissions Licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
22329	Refused	12 Aug 2022	1	347 m	construct one number detached two storey dwelling, one number detached single storey garage, to upgrade existing entrance to public road, to install a private well and a septic tank and percolation area and all associated site works
21515	Conditional	21 Mar 2022	0	25 m	The development comprises 275MWe reserve gas-fired generator to boost and back up the power system and will include the following elements (a) 5no. open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) modules (each module being c 1042sqm) and complete with lube oil coolers, generators, air intake vents, continuous emissions monitoring (CEMS) technology, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units and c.30m high stacks, (b) 1no two-storey administration building (32.615m long x 13m wide x 9.33m high) which contains a control room, offices, storage meeting room workshop and double height warehouse (c) 2no. 2,400m3 capacity bunded secondary fuel storage tanks (each with a diameter of 17.6m and height of 10m), (d) a fenced above ground installation (AGI) compound containing gas pipework , a regulator house enclosure, instrument kiosk, boiler house enclosure and analyzer kiosk, (e) 1no. fuel pump and filter unit, (f) 1no. containerised water treatment module (12.192m long x 2.438m wide x 2.896m high), (g) 1no. 10m3 purified water storage tank (2.75mm high and 2.27m diameter), (h) 2no. containerised black start diesel generators (2.438m x 12.192m long x 2.896m high) with integrated stacks(4.755m high), (i) 1 no 50m3 ammonia storage tank (9.360m high and 3.16m diameter, (j) fire pump skid building (9.23m long x 6.98m wide x 4.6m high), (k) 1 no. 500m3 capacity water tank (7.597m high x 10m diameter, (l) 1 no. single storey IPP building (20m long x 10m wide and 6.853m high, (m) 1 no. low voltage (LV) bunded house transformer (1.914m high), (n) 5 no. medium voltage (MV) bunded step-up transformers (6.287 m high) 1no. high voltage (HV) customer compound containing 2no. bunded transformers (9m high) connected to electrical equipment, (o) 1no air compressor building (8.33m long x 4.73m wide x 4.517m high) and (p) all ancillary development including new access road, internal roads, 2.65m high fencing and gates securing the main reserve generator site, and associated engineering works to provide for the connection of site services and for the treatment and disposal of foul wastewater and surface water. The development includes for construction of a new entrance to the site from the R446 with associated signage and an access road from the new entrance to the reserve gas-fired generator. The development also includes for the demolition and removal of a farm shed, farm workshop, feed silo and a silage clamp , permission for a period of 10 years EIAR and Industrial Emissions licence included.
21532	Conditional	21 Mar 2022	0	25 m	The Energy Storage System (ESS) development will comprise: (i) an open area battery energy storage system (BESS) compound(area of 26,317sqm) containing 264no battery modules and associated medium voltage power station (MVPS) enclosures (12.192m long x 2.438m wide x 3.896m high), (ii) IPP building (40n long x 10m wide x 6.853m high), (iii) synchronous condenser compound (area of 9,309sqm) containing a horizontal synchronous generator positioned within a building (30.0m long x 18.0m wide x 12.15m high), 5no control modules each (12.192m long x 2.438m wide x 3.332m high), associated bunded transformers and electrical plant, (iv) high voltage (HV) customer compound containing 1no. bunded transformers (9m high) and electrical plant to provide for connection to the electricity transmission system, and (v) all ancillary development, including lightening mast protection, perimeter fencing with access gates, landscaping, lighting, car parking, internal access roads and all civil engineering works for the disposal of foul and surface water. The development includes for construction of a new entrance and access road to the facility from the R446 with associated signage from the new entrance to the ESS facility. Permission is sought for 10 years. An EIAR has been prepared and accompanies this planning application

Appeals

ACP case	Type	Outcome	Decided	Distance
324417	—	open	3 Jul 2026	0 m
501596	—	pending	23 Jun 2026	0 m
501585	—	Invalid	22 Jun 2026	0 m
501583	—	Invalid	20 Jun 2026	0 m
501550	—	open	17 Jun 2026	0 m
501504	—	Invalid	9 Jun 2026	0 m
314569	—	Refused	27 Oct 2023	347 m
312783	—	Granted with conditions	9 Sept 2022	26 m

If neighbours here have appealed before and lost, the inspector's report on that case is the single most useful thing to read.

What has happened on this file

11 Sept 2026 New application · observations close 16 Oct 2026
11 Sept 2026 Decision

Generated from the Planning Register store; nothing was fetched live for this page. Source: national planning dataset, fetched 22 Sept 2026, 16:10. Not legal advice — confirm the deadline with Westmeath County Council before relying on it.