Compulsory purchase of land for new Virginia plant

Details of a Compulsory Acquisition of Land near Virginia to facilitate the development of a new €10M Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) for the town have been published.

The CPO, dated February 28, has been advertised in respect of a 0.0045 hectacres (0.011 acres) or a little more than the size of a large garden shed, in a field at Rahardrum, part of the former Headfort Estate.

Uisce Éireann - formerly known as Irish Water – is working in partnership with Cavan County Council to progress the build of the new wastewater treatment plant, which is included in Uisce Éireann’s 2020 to 2024 investment plan.

A Feasibility study report identified specific and significant operational issues with the existing plant in the fast growing-town, necessitating the investment.

Council planners approved the new proposed facility just off the N3 in the townland of Rathardum, with a terminal pumping station off New Street. The new facility will more than double current capacity. It has the potential to kickstart a fresh phase of housing development in the town, which had been stymied in recent years, over concerns regarding the potential ecological threat posed to nearby Lough Ramor.