Teagasc has successfully secured planning permission for new student accommodation at Ballyhaise Agricultural College in County Cavan.
The planning application was initially submitted in November last year, with Cavan County Council releasing the decision on the last day of June.
According to online planning documents, planning permission has been obtained to demolish three purpose-built student accommodation buildings, and build a new two-storey student accommodation block.
This new building will have 24 study bedrooms with shared communal facilities and additional accommodation.
The planning application includes the partial refurbishment of existing outbuildings to provide shared student facilities and all associated works and services.
Cavan County Council decided to grant planning permission subject to 17 conditions.
These largely relate to technical and legal requirements relating to safety, water quality, protection of on-site biodiversity, waste collection and protection of local facilities.
The terms stipulate that work on site during the development will take place between 8:00am and 6:00pm Monday to Friday, and between 8:00am and 2:00pm on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays.
Ballyhays Agricultural College
Ballyhaise College is located 8 km north of Cavan. It is set in 220 hectares of grass and woodland, which were historically the lands associated with the 300-year-old Ballyhaise House, which still stands on the site.
Students can live in rented rooms in the college or in the nearby village.
The college farm has 120 cows, plus replacements, on 50 hectares.
The college herd, which is born in the spring, is part of the teaching Moorpark Dairy Research Programme.
Facilities include a 12-unit herringbone milking parlor with automated siphoning, slat houses, calving pens and isolation boxes.
A computerized management program is used to facilitate record keeping.
The herd of 36 lactating cows is calving for spring. All male offspring are completed under 16 months.
Some calves are kept for breeding and the rest are finished in less than 24 months. There is also a selection of calves that are bred from the dairy herd and transitioned to beef.
The sheep herd includes 220 ewes. This is split into 60 for early lamb production and 160 that are managed for mid season lamb production.
60 female sheep are kept for breeding each year. The rams used on the farm are Suffolk, Texel, Charolais and Belclair.
