11-08-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Dawn Meats seeks approval for irrigation system in Navan
Dawn Meats Ireland has lodged a planning application with Meath County Council for an 8-hectare subsurface irrigation development at its Beauparc site.
The project would include a filter pump house, storage tank, pipework, and valves to disperse treated effluent from the existing on-site wastewater treatment plant.
The application falls under the scope of an activity that holds an Industrial Emissions Licence.
In 2021, the company sought planning permission for an extension to its wastewater treatment plant, including the construction of a 7.2km pipeline to discharge treated wastewater from its beef abattoir in Beauparc into the River Boyne at Cotton Mills.
At the time, Dawn Meats said the multi-million-euro investment would deliver a 'state-of-the-art' treatment facility capable of producing fully compliant wastewater.
However, those plans sparked significant local opposition from residents, businesses, and local groups who expressed concerns about potential health and environmental impacts.
The River Boyne supplies drinking water to more than 70,000 homes across east Meath and Louth.
Meath County Council ultimately received over 400 submissions opposing the pipeline, but granted permission for its construction in 2022.
