Jobs boost for Kilkenny as new manufacturing facility gets green light despite objections

Twenty new jobs will to be created in Kilkenny a health food company wwas given the go ahead to set up a manufacturing facility here.

An Bord Pleanála this week approved plans by Virginia Health Foods to create a manufacturing facility on the site of an equestrian centre in Wallslough outside the city.

The company, which is headquartered in Kinsale, county Cork, supplies some of Europe’s largest supermarkets.

Last June Kilkenny County Council granted planning permission to Virginia Health Foods to develop a new manufacturing facility at the Wallslough Holiday Village. However, a group called the Wallslough Residents Group subsequently appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

The objections included the suitability of the site for light industrial use and queried why the company did not seek to create the facility in an area zoned for industrial use.

The national planning authority took onboard these objections, but ultimately ruled in favour of Virginia Foods.

Under the plans for the new manufacturing facility, the equestrian and conference centre at Wallslough Holiday Village will be transformed into a light industrial unit for dry foods processing and packaging.

Virginia Health Food’s products range from gluten-free baking mixes to nutritious seed mixes for cereal toppings, crunch toppings, salad toppings and snacks.

Apart from producing their own products, Virginia also supplies ranges to supermarkets such as Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Et Corts Ingles.