Mayo County Council has refused planning permission for a controversial sludge processing factory in Geesala in north Mayo.
Glancre Teoranta, based at the former Norsk Hydro plant at Muingmore, in Erris, has been operating for a number of years, but began its manufacture of sludge pellets without planning permission being required by Mayo County Council.
The local authority had ruled that the development only required a permit, as a smokeless peat briquette had previously been produced at the same location.
Huge local opposition to the projection saw the formation of the Erris Action group, a group of local residents that appealed to An Bord Pleanála to insist that planning permission be sought for the development.
The residents won their appeal three years ago, when An Bord Pleanála ruled that planning permission was required to process sludge at the plant.
The Cork based owners, of Glancre Teoranta, appealed the decision of An Bord Pleanála to the High Court which upheld the view of local residents and ruled that planning permission was needed for the processing of sludge at the site.
While some operations have continued at the Glancre plant in Muingmore, last July the company applied to the council for planning permission to alter their plant in order to process sludge.
Yesterday Mayo County Council refused planning permission to Glancre on the grounds "that the proposed development is not considered to be in the interests of proper planning and sustainable development of the area".
The authority said in its decision that the development contravened the objectives of the waste management strategy for the Connacht region.
The strategy has as an objective to develop a centrally located sludge hub and this development did not meet that requirement.
Local Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring, who objected to the planning application said yesterday he was delighted with the decision.
"It's a victory for local democracy", he said. "The people have fought this development and Mayo County Council has listened," he said. The chairman of Erris Action Group, Lawrence Howard, described the decision as a relief. "We can now only hope that Glancre will not appeal this decision to An Bord Pleanála," Mr Howard said.