An Bord Pleanala has rejected a planning inspector's recommendation not to grant a local company permission to extract peat.
Klassman Deilmann had applied in July 2020 to An Bord Pleanala to extract raw materials at Ballygarvey Bog between Rathowen and Legan in Longford.
The 99-hectare site between Rathowen and Legan village in County Longford has not seen any peat extraction since 2019 when new environmental rules came into force.
The firm, which first began operations in 1982, applied in July 2020 for 'Leave for Substitute Consent' which is the first step in a lengthy process to be allowed cut peat for their compost products once again.
However, the process has been significantly delayed and almost 22 months later, the company has now been given the green light to move to the next stage, of actually applying for consent.
If this is successful the firm must then get planning permission from the County Council, and only then can they ask the EPA for a special licence - all stages at which they can face rejection.
The decision to grant permission to apply for leave was made against the recommendation of the planning inspector - which claimed the application should be refused for a number of environmental reasons.
However, the Board rejected the inspector's recommendation and found while an environmental impact report would be required, the case presented 'exceptional' circumstances and an assessment can be made on what environmental impact allowing peat extraction to continue may have on the area and also noted a lack of previous enforcement procedures.
