Plans Submitted To Expand Bushmills Maturation Warehouses

A full planning application has been submitted to extend the whiskey maturation facility at Old Bushmills Distillery, including the construction of 26 new maturation warehouses.

The proposal relates to lands at and to the east and south-east of the existing Haw Road maturation facility near Bushmills. It also includes an extension to the current sprinkler pumphouse, new internal road infrastructure, landscaping, groundworks and associated site works.

The plans follow a statutory pre-application community consultation process, which is required for major developments. According to the Pre-Application Community Consultation Report, the original proposal for 29 warehouses was reduced to 26 following feedback during the consultation period.

As part of the consultation, information leaflets were distributed to nearby properties, a public information event was held at the distillery, and an online consultation website was launched to gather feedback from the local community.

The report states that responses received were largely supportive of the proposals. All respondents who took part in the survey said they agreed or strongly agreed that the expansion would support the local economy and that the location, adjacent to the existing maturation facility, was appropriate.

Some feedback raised concerns about site lighting, with requests that excessive floodlighting be avoided. In response, the applicant said a lighting plan would be submitted with the full application, with measures to limit light spill into surrounding lands and to restrict lighting levels and operating hours, except when triggered by security systems.

Old Bushmills Distillery said the expansion would help safeguard jobs at the historic distillery and support continued investment in whiskey production in the area.

The planning application will now be considered by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, with planning officers expected to assess the proposals against planning policy, environmental considerations and any representations received from statutory consultees and the public.