Plans by PepsiCo for a multimillion euro expansion of its manufacturing facility in Little Island in Co Cork have been refused by An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The plan for additional manufacturing capacity at the plant at Little Island Industrial Estate in Ballytrasna was approved by Cork County Council in April, but an appeal to the planning board has now overturned that decision. Local residents had raised health and environmental concerns about the project.
“PepsiCo acknowledges the decision made by An Coimisiún Pleanála in relation to a recent planning application for an expansion of its existing manufacturing facility in Little Island, Co Cork.
The company will take some time to review the decision and to consider its options,” the company said in a statement to the Irish Examiner.
PepsiCo has been undertaking a €127m investment at its facility in Little Island, including development of its research and development campus. The plans for manufacturing expansion at Ballytrasna would provide an additional 12,207sq m of floor space over four levels, bringing the maximum height to more than 28 metres.
PepsiCo employs 700 people at the Little Island facility, which has been in operation since 1974. In the past five decades in Cork, the company has grown from a 30-person operation to employing more than 1,250 people across its sites in Carrigaline and Litttle Island today.
Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan had objected to the plans for Ballytrasna, saying in a written submission that the proposed development. On Tuesday, he called for the company to now take local concerns into consideration.
“I think it important to first acknowledge that we all want to see continued investment by companies like Pepsi in to Little Island and Cork. They have been a very important employee locally for decades now,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
“However, with regard to the recent planning decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála, I think it’s important that PepsiCo meet the local residents, discuss concerns, and adapt their proposal to ensure that future development plans can proceed for the benefit of both residents and employers on the Island.”