The first official step has been taken by a Benburb-based environmental engineering company with hopes of investing a whopping £9 million in a heat to power plant, despite fierce objection from the local community.
AIC Group – based on the Milltown Road near Benburb – first expressed their plans to construct the combined heat to power thermal treatment centre at the rear of their existing site back in December 2025.
At the time, they entered freely into a voluntary public consultation to “be up front” with neighbours and the surrounding population, garner feedback and engage in discussion.
However, in notifying neighbours of the public consultation, several concerns came to light… all of which AIC Group acknowledged as being “perfectly valid”.
Residents’ primary concerns surrounded the emissions produced by the facility – and if these will be pollutant – air pollution by the way of possible odour produced by waste combustion, visual impact through the accumulation of waste on site and the type of waste to be handled on site… particularly surrounding the feeding of medical waste from hospitals.
At the public consultation – held at Armagh City Hotel – Directors, staff members, architects and solicitors for the project were all made available to answer questions.
Councillors for the Mid-Ulster Council area, including Sinn Fein’s Colm Gildernew, also attended to make representations on the public’s behalf.
Related: Armagh engineering firm respond to public concerns surrounding plant development
And while public opinion was largely negative, AIC Group were keen to discuss the positives.
Group Technical Director, Conor Donnelly explained that the project represents a multi-million pound investment in the local area and would provide a significant jobs boost, if approved.
Of the job creation, he explained: “We would need in the region of 16 people. That’s full-time. We employ 24 to 26 at the minute and then we would have to bring on six more in the near future; they would be kept on and then four to six on top of that would be needed to facilitate the facility fabrication which would all then be sustained and then 13 to 16, roughly, to help with general service, maintenance, house-keeping, admin and management.”
This apparently did little to allay fears, however, for in January a meeting was held by members of the public in opposition to the project in Benburb Priory with the view of forming a committee to tackle plans.
A rough count of the room indicated there were some 140 people at the meeting, which Armagh I attended in person.
Organised and run by residents of the area under the group name ‘Residents Against Incineration’ (RAIN), the purpose of the event was purely to “make note” of concerns and to gauge interest for the formation of a committee to research and potentially challenge proposals put forth by AIC Group to build the plant on lands at 111 Milltown Road.
Related: Community ‘fired up’ about plans to develop ‘incinerator’ near Benburb
In terms of what RAIN say they “don’t know”, the spokesperson listed: “Sources of waste… we understand they’ll be sourced somewhere in Northern Ireland, but we do not know where; the quality component and properties of waste to be processed and the destination of by-products including bottom ash; air quality impact on local human receptors; understanding the plume distribution of contaminants, of potential human health effects, respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive and mental health, all being issues; impact on ecological receptors, farmland, livestock, and food chain; impact on natural, unbuilt heritage sites; how external drainage will be managed; potential impact on ground watercourses; an accident and disaster management plan; infrastructure and route to delivery that they are to deliver electricity generated to the grid; the road infrastructure changes that will be implemented; what alternative more suitable locations have been considered for the proposal and future modification expansion or potential; the size of the facility; what waste volume it takes; impact on property value, future residential planning, constraints and impact on future generations.”
The overall message from RAIN that evening was to ensure that concerns were “not only spoken privately to next-door neighbours” but were put forward in writing to the company, any committee that may be formed to handle objection to the proposals, to local representatives or to Council directly.
It seemed, at the time, that opposition to AIC’s project was growing rather than abating.
Then in February, the ground shifted when neighbouring company O&S Doors announced they too intended to build a Combined Heat & Power plant comprising a new 1,141 sq m warehousing unit to house the specialised plant and an additional 2,642 sq m warehousing unit added to left rear of site.
O&S Doors’ announcement – despite being less than five miles from AIC’s site – was met with a striking support and positivity, especially by Sinn Fein, who welcomed it as a move towards “greener energy”.
The polarised opinion – while confusing – undoubtedly catapulted AIC Group into a much stronger position regarding their future plans.
The company, while they had engaged of their own volition with the public – had not previously submitted any formal plans to Council.
Today, that has changed. A Pre-Application Notice (PAN) has now officially been put to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for their consideration.
Related: Benburb: Proposals for two heat to power plants just miles apart polarise opinion
This is the first step in moving forward on their proposals, but is merely an expression of interest rather than a full request for planning permission.
It does carry with it the need for another public consultation, however, and this will be advertised locally.
The PAN expresses the company’s intentions to make alterations and extension to an “existing tyre bailing building”, to facilitate the change of use for the storage and thermal treatment of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes through provision of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit.
It adds that this will be for the “utilisation of both electrical and heat energy at the existing site with export potential”.
They also seek the erection of an additional manufacturing building for “existing manufacturing business”, with the development to include the extension of the existing site to facilitate the proposed buildings, yard, HGV and car parks and associated site works including the demolition of existing buildings and alterations to existing access – all of which would cover some 2,630 sq m of floorspace.
The PAN will be advertised in due course and the public consultation meeting is due to be held at Armagh City Hotel on May 1, between 4pm and 7pm.
A leaflet drop will be conducted within a 200m radius of the site in the coming weeks and a dedicated website with plans and drawings will remain open here for a period of 28 days.
Elected representatives will once again be invited to attend.
