Councillors raise concerns over 26-turbine wind farm

Meath county councillors considering reports on a proposed 26-turbine wind farm on the Meath-Westmeath border have said the absence of updated guidelines on wind farms has had a negative effect in ensuring proper planning and ensuring appropriate distance between turbines and local residences.

The council chief executive delivered a report in relation to a strategic infrastructure development application made to An Bord Pleanala in relation to the wind farm at Ballivor Bog Group. Executive planner Teresa O’Reilly delivered a detailed presentation on the application by Bord na Mona Powergen Ltd and councillors were invited to make submissions or comments on the proposal which had to be delivered by 13 June last.

Seven councillors – Noel French, Joe Fox, Gillian Toole, Paul McCabe, Elaine McGinty, Emer Toibin, and Trevor Golden – made several points about the proposal; they agreed with the recommendation for further information about the plan; they raised the issue of the updated guidelines, adding that technology had moved on and that this should be reflected in any guidelines; they made the point that the lands would or might be more suitable to a solar farm development; they expressed concern about the proximity of turbines to local homes, saying that turbines should be located as far away as possible from them; they stressed the importance of a decommissioning plan to protect the landscape and asked whether remediation of the site will fall to the council if the developer no longer owns the site; they said that the concerns of residents with respect to the devaluing of their properties could be alleviated by “excellent” community facilities.

The councillor also looked for a community fund to assist local people and details about community benefits/amenities should be included in the conditions attached to the granting of permission. In addition to the proposed paths and cycleways, horse track, a natural play park, sensory garden it was suggested that waymarked posts, orientation information boards and toilets should be provided. A question of whether the proposed wind farm would prevent parts of the bog from taking part in the Peatland Climate Action Scheme, specifically the rewetting element and, if so, what percentage of the bog would be prevented from taking part in the scheme. The councillors also asked what consideration had been given to solar renewable energy in this project to reduce the number of wind turbines, particularly close to existing homes.

Following the council meeting written submissions were forwarded by Cllrs Joe Fox (FG), Aisling Dempsey (FF), and Ronan Moore (Social Democrat).

Cllr Fox said that the lands in question were mostly cutaway boglands which would be more suitable for a solar farm. He said the lands in question were acquired by Bord na Mona from mostly small landowners and householders for nominal sums and by compulsory purchase order. “Therefore, it would be only just that a proper community fund be made a condition of any planning granted for the project”.

Cllr Ronan Moore submitted “though renewable wind energy, on a yearly average and per acre, currently produces more energy than solar renewable energy, the gap between the two continues to narrow.

“What level of conversation and analysis was done to integrate solar renewable schemes in this project, thus negating the number of wind turbines proposed, particularly in those areas close to existing homes?”