John Magnier’s Coolmore gets green light to build new shed at Tipperary farm
Coolmore Stud Farm has been granted planning permission to build a new hay shed at its farm near Cashel.
The world-renowned stud, owned by billionaire businessman John Magnier, applied to Tipperary County Council for planning permission to develop a new hay shed at the stud farm in Castleblake, Rosegreen.
Planning files show that the new shed would be very substantial, measuring 2,383 square metres in size and a ridge height of 11,295 metres and would be used to provide additional storage for hay for the farm’s cattle.
The shed will have a length of 126.190 metres and a width of 19 metres and will be open sided with a new yard to be provided to facilitate access.
The existing buildings on the farm are used for wintering cattle, straw stores, hay barns and machinery sheds, with this new shed needed for more storage, according to planning files.
The plans would see the southern end of the shed sit approximately one metre below ground level, while existing trees and shrubs on the site boundary will remain in place.
When making the application an agent working on behalf of Coolmore said: “Cattle are wintered in the cattle sheds which contain slatted tanks along the front and large lye off beds to the rear. The bedding is provided with used straw from stables, primarily from the nearby Ballydoyle Racing stables.”
“When bedding is removed from the cattle lye-back area it is composted in the farmyard manure building, following which it is land spread on the tillage ground thereby reducing the need to purchase artificial fertilisers.
“The crop is saved to create feed for the horses, and the straw is used for bedding horses. The entire process creates a full circle and completes the loop in terms of bio-efficiency,” they said.
John Magnier, owner of Coolmore Stud. © Gerry Mooney
An agent working on behalf of Coolmore said that straw and hay is used for a number of reasons at the farm, and that all the buildings that are currently on the site have a specific use.
Council planners said in their report that they accepted the fact that all other farm buildings were in use at all times.
“The applicant has indicated that all buildings in the complex have a specific use, are in use at all times, and are essential to the farm operation at this location and the wider equine industry in which the applicant is involved.
“The details submitted are noted and are acceptable,” the planner said.
Planning permission was granted, subject to seven conditions, including that Coolmore pays the county council a financial contribution of €10,356.
Also included among the conditions are that the finishes of the new shed match the sheds that are already on the farm, and that it can only be used for agricultural purposes.
Prior to undertaking the works the developer must hire a suitably qualified archaeologist (licensed under the National Monuments Acts) to carry out pre-development archaeological testing in areas of proposed ground disturbance and to submit an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) report for the written agreement of the Planning Authority, following consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The report shall include an Archaeological Impact Statement and mitigation strategy.