Court challenge to wind farm is dismissed

A High Court challenge to stop An Bord Pleanala adjudicating on the controversial plan to erect wind farms in north Meath has failed.

The decision comes ahead of a Bord Pleanala oral hearing into the Emlagh Wind Farm project which is due to get underway in Kells next Tuesday, 16th June.

The judicial review was sought by engineer John Callaghan from Kells who had claimed a 'fundamentally unfair' planning procedure was adopted for the development that meant there would be no public involvement in the process of carrying out an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Ms Justice Caroline Costello found Mr Callaghan had failed to establish the necessary substantial grounds for quashing the disputed decision of An Bord Pleanala dating from September 2014 that the development was a strategic infrastructural development (SID), with the result that the planning application could now go directly before the board.

Next week's hearing into the proposed construction of 46 wind turbines with a height of 169 metres in a number of rural areas close to Kells, is due to last around five days in the Headfort Arms Hotel, and will hear from a range of local and national organisations and up to 117 individuals who have made submissions, as well as Element Power, the company behind the proposal.

Meath County Council this week unanimously decided to oppose the project and council officials will also make a submission to the Bord Pleanala hearing based on the opinions expressed by councillors.

Strategic infrastructure developments allows a planning application to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála instead of the local authority, without the need for public involvement in any environmental impact assessment.