Bushmills Distillery Seeks Approval For Bottling Plant Expansion

A planning application has been submitted for an extension to the whiskey bottling plant at Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim.

The proposal, lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seeks permission for an extension to the existing bottling facility, recladding of the current building, and associated works, including the construction of an electrical transformer building.

Planning documents state that the development is intended to support increased packaging output at the distillery's Bushmills site. The expansion is linked to recent investment across the wider distillery operation, including the opening of a second distillery in 2021 and the proposed expansion of maturation capacity.

The existing bottling plant is located within the centre of the distillery estate. Under the plans, a service yard area to the north of the current facility would be developed to accommodate a new two-storey extension housing an additional bottling line and associated storage areas.

According to the planning statement, the project would increase packaging capacity from approximately 1.6 million cases to 4.5 million cases. The increase would be achieved through upgrades to production lines, changes to operating hours and additional storage facilities.

The application also proposes recladding sections of the existing bottling plant and installing new signage displaying the "Old Bushmills Distillery Co. Ltd" name. Materials proposed for the extension include brick, pigmented concrete and copper-coloured finishes designed to complement the character of the wider distillery estate.

Old Bushmills Distillery occupies more than 25 hectares within the village and is recognised as Ireland's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. The site includes listed buildings and is situated within the Causeway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Environmental assessments submitted as part of the application conclude that the development would not result in significant impacts on built heritage, ecology, traffic or nearby residential properties, subject to the implementation of proposed mitigation measures.