Planning precedent report

Construction of 2 adjoined single storey data centres with associated office and service areas with an overall gross floor area of 15,274sq.m comprising of the construction of 2 adjoined single storey data centres with a gross floor area of 12,859sq.m that will include a single storey goods receiving area / store and single storey office area (2,415sq.m) with PV panels above, located to the east of the data centres as well as associated water tower, sprinkler tank, pump house and other services; The data centres will also include plant at roof level; with 24 standby diesel generators with associated flues (each 25m high) that will be located within a generator yard to the west of the data centres; New internal access road and security gates to serve the proposed development that will provide access to 36 new car parking spaces (including 4 electric and 2 disabled spaces) and sheltered bicycle parking to serve the new data centres; New attenuation ponds to the north of the proposed data centres; Green walls are proposed to the south and east that will enclose the water tower and pump house compound; The development will also include ancillary site works, connections to existing infrastructural services as well as fencing and signage; The development will include minor modifications to the permitted landscaping to the west of the site as granted under SDCC Planning Ref. SD19A/0042 / ABP Ref. PL06S.305948 and Ref. SD21A/0042; The site will remain enclosed by landscaping to all boundaries; The development will be accessed off the R120 via the permitted access granted under SDCC Planning Ref. SD19A/0042 / ABP Ref. PL06S.305948 and SD21A/0042; An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted with this application.

Amendments to the electrical substation compound and structures permitted under Reg. Ref. SD19A/0042 and ABP Ref. 305948-19 comprising of amendment to the layout and extent of the permitted substation compound, to include an extension of the compound area to c. 0.77 hectares; reorientation of the Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) substation building to a north­south orientation, and associated amendments to the building footprint, layout, and elevations, providing for a two storey building with a gross floor area (GFA) of c. 1,456 sq.m; alterations to the permitted single storey Client Control Building to provide for the substitution of this structure with 5 single storey modular client control units, with a combined total GFA of c. 231 sq.m (GFA of c. 46.2 sq.m per module); associated amendments to the permitted substation access arrangements (3 gated access points provided), transformers, security fencing (to be 2.6 metres high in place of the 2.4 metre high fencing permitted), lighting, services, MV substation, parking, utility cabling, amendments to permitted landscaping and berms adjoining the substation compound and associated and ancillary works.

Phased development that will include 4 single storey data halls all with associated plant at roof level; 32 standby generators with associated flues (each 15m high); associated office and service areas; service road infrastructure and car parking; ESB sub-station/transformer yard with an overall gross floor area of 17,685sq.m; temporary gas powered generation plant within a walled yard containing 19 generator units with associated flues (each 17m high) to be located to the west of the proposed data halls on a site within the townland of Ballymakaily; Phase 1, 2 single storey data halls (6,950sq.m.) with roof plant and 16 stand-by generators with associated flues (each 15m high) as well as associated water tower and pump room and other services; single storey goods receiving area/store and single storey office area (1,522sq.m.) located attached and to the north-east of the data halls; temporary gas powered generation plant with 15 generators with associated flues (each 17m high) to be located within a compound to the west of the proposed data halls; attenuation pond; two storey ESB sub-station (494sq.m) with associated transformer yard and single storey transformer building (247sq.m) within compound; Phase 2, 2 single storey data halls (6,950sq.m.) with roof plant and 16 stand-by generators with associated flues (each 15m high) as well as associated water tower and pump room and other services; single storey goods receiving area/store and single storey office area (1,522sq.m) located attached and to the east of the data halls under this Phase and attached and to the north of the offices proposed under Phase 1; 4 additional generators with associated flues (each 17m high) to be constructed within the temporary gas powered generation plant; also ancillary site works; connections to existing infrastructural services as well as fencing; signage; vehicular access off the realigned R120 to provide a new vehicular access into the site as well as internal service roads and entrance gates; car park for 39 car parking spaces (including 4 disabled car parking spaces); sheltered bicycle parking to serve the development. The development will be enclosed with landscaping to all boundaries of the overall site of 22.1ha. Application for enabling works to facilitate this development has been made under Reg. Ref. SD19A/0004. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted with this application. An EPA-Industrial Emissions (IE) licence will be applied for to facilitate the operation of Phase 2 of the permission.

Construction of two single storey data centres with associated office and service areas; and three gas powered generation plant buildings with an overall gross floor area of 24,624sq.m that will comprise of the following: Demolition of abandoned single storey dwelling, remaining agricultural shed and derelict former farm building; Construction of 2 single storey data centres (12,797sq.m), both with associated plant at roof level, with 24 standby diesel generators with associated flues (each 25m high) that will be attached to a single storey goods receiving area/store and a single storey office area (2,404sq.m) located to the west of the data centres as well as associated water tower and sprinkler tank and other services; Amendments to the internal access road and omission of access to loading bay permitted under SDCC planning Ref. SD19A/0042/ABP Ref. PL06S.305948 that include the relocation of permitted, and new, internal security gates; and new internal access roads to serve the proposed development that will provide access to 39 new car parking spaces (including 4 electric and 2 disabled spaces) and sheltered bicycle parking to serve the new data centres; The development will also include the phased development of 3 two storey gas powered generation plants (9,286sq.m) within three individual buildings and ancillary development to provide power to facilitate the development of the overall site to be located within the south-west part of the overall site. Gas plant 1 (3,045sq.m) will contain 20 generator units (18+2) with associated flues (each 25m high) will facilitate, once operational the decommissioning of the temporary Gas Powered Generation Plant within its open compound as granted under SDCC Planning Ref. SD19A/0042/ABP Ref. PL06S.305948. Gas plant 2 (3,045sq.m) will contain 20 generator units (18+2) with associated flues (each 25m high). and, Gas plant 3 (3,196sq.m) will contain 21 generator units (19+2) with associated flues (each 25m high). These plants will be built to provide power to each data centre, if and, when required. The gas plants will be required as back up power generation once the permitted power connection via the permitted substation is achieved; New attenuation pond to the north of the site; Green walls are proposed on the southern elevation of each power plant, as well as to the northern elevation of the generator compound of the data centres, and enclosing the water tower/pump room compound, and a new hedgerow is proposed linking east and west of the site; Proposed above ground gas installation compound to contain single storey kiosk (93sq.m) and boiler room (44sq.m). The development will also include ancillary site works, connections to existing infrastructural services as well as fencing and signage. The development will include minor modifications to the permitted landscaping to the west of the site as granted under SDCC planning Ref. SD19A/0042/ABP Ref. PL06S.305948. The site will remain enclosed by landscaping to all boundaries. The development will be accessed off the R120 via the permitted access granted under SDCC planning Ref. SD19A/0042/ABP Ref. PL06S.305948. An EPA-Industrial Emissions (IE) licence will be applied for to facilitate the operation of the gas powered generation plant. An Environment Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted with this application. All on a site of 22.1hectares.

The development will consist of the amendment of Condition no. 3 (ii) and 3 (iii) of the permission granted under Reg. Ref. SO21A/0042 that related to the Gas Plant of the overall permitted development only, so that these aspects of the new condition shall read as follows: Condition no. 3(ii) Within four (4) years from the date the first Gas Plant commences operation, the applicant or operator shall undertake a review with GNI of the ability to serve the Gas Plant with green gas and / or hydrogen (or similar fuels) shall be Investigated and reported to the Planning Authority. Any ability for the Gas Plant to be operated with green gas and/ or hydrogen (or similar fuels) shall be implemented within an agreed timeline agreed with GNI. Condition no. 3(iii) If the applicant receives a firm offer from Eirgrid under which the Gas Plant is not required, and the connection has been realized with capacity onsite from Eirgrid, then the Gas Plants shall be removed from the entire site within a year of the ceasing of operation. The nature and extent of the permitted Gas Plants, or any other element of the parent permission granted under Reg. Ref. SD21A/0042 will otherwise not be amended by this application. An EPA­Industrial Emissions (IE) licence will be applied for to facilitate the operation of the Gas Plant that Is subject of this amendment application.

Construction of 1 & 2 storey office building, c.9.43m in height providing a total GFA of 459sq.m.; provision of 11 total car parking spaces; 8 covered cycle parking spaces; the removal of the existing temporary structures, landscaping, tree planting and all associated site and infrastructural works.