Environment & Planning Information

The process of providing a wastewater treatment plant for Arklow began with the original planning permission being granted to Arklow Town Council in 1994. Due to changes in environmental policy in the following years, a new Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) was required as part of the planning permission process and in 2005 planning permission for the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant was once again granted. This permission expired in early 2015.

Uisce Éireann took responsibility for providing and managing public water services throughout Ireland in 2014. Uisce Éireann is committed to ensuring a new wastewater treatment plant for Arklow is delivered through the development of a new planning process.

Uisce Éireann has completed a series of investigative surveys along the North and South Quays and in Arklow Bay and the estuary of the Avoca River. The information gathered from these surveys informed the design of the wastewater treatment plant, interceptor sewers, marine outfall pipeline and intake pipe crossing the Avoca River. The information was also used in the planning application which was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in 2018.
 
A number of ecological surveys were undertaken including bat surveys, water birds surveys as well as identification of invasive species. Site investigations were also undertaken at the main project site at the Old Wallboard Factory, North Quay, Ferrybank, Arklow.

On 5 September 2018 Uisce Éireann published notice of a planning application to An Bord Pleanála, in respect of a Strategic Infrastructure Development, to progress the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant Project. We also published notice of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the project, a planning application and EIAR to An Bord Pleanála.

The application may also be viewed/downloaded on the planning website www.arklowwastewater.ie.