Community's dismay after approval granted for 26-turbine windfarm

Plans for a 26-turbine wind farm on the Meath/Westmeath border have been given the green light by An Bord Pleanala, despite strong local objections to the proposal.

Bord na Móna Powergen Ltd has been granted a ten-year planning permission to construct 26 turbines with a tip height of 200m in the townlands of Clondalee More, Derryconor, Clonycavan, Robinstown, Coolronan, Doolystown, and Moyfeagher in Co Meath, as well as Lisclogher Great, Cockstown, Clonmorrill, Clonleame, Bracklin, Craddanstown, Killagh, Grange More and Riverdale in County Westmeath.

News of An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant permission has been met with huge disappointment in the local area and a spokesperson for the Delvin, Raharney, Ballivor Wind Group said they feel “very let down by the process”.

The planning approval for 26 turbines of 200m in height is on top of the nine turbines of 185m that have already been approved as part of the Bracklyn Wind Farm which soon to go to construction.

“While we as a group and more broadly as a community are very supportive of renewable energy, this is the wrong renewable technology in the wrong place. Wind turbines belong well off-shore,” DRB Wind Group said in a statement.

“The cumulative impact from years of heavy industrial construction, followed by noise and shadow flicker from 35 Turbines, light pollution from 38 Red nightlights, impact on environment, landscape, views and biodiversity, will last until the early 2060’s, per the planning permission.

“While we understand that Bord na Mona are driven exclusively by Financial gain, we feel that the community has been failed by poor government policy, significant lack of rigour in the planning process, giving no voice to genuine community concerns.

“We have spent countless hours considering these planning applications, raising funds via the community to engage expertise to support our submissions. But at the end of the day, there has been zero compromise from the wind developers and zero consideration by planners for the local communities' concerns.”

Spokesperson Daryl Kennedy told how their group's original submission made 29 observations in May 2023 which were all factually based and genuine concerns from across the community. Then in February of this year, there was a further opportunity to make observations and they emphasised 16 areas of concern. But they feel none were taken seriously.

Daryl said: “Just taking one of those points: Visual Impact; our point that the cumulative total of 35 turbines of up to 200m in height, plus 3 x 100m+ windmasts will dominate the landscape both day and night, for decades to come, was roundly ignored by An Bord Pleanala. We live in an open flat landscape; for Bord Pleanala to state in the planning decision that “the site is located within an area which has been identified as having the capacity to absorb a development of this nature and scale in landscape and visual terms,” is farcical.

“The cumulative development of 35 enormous turbines will become the dominant landscape feature of this area for decades to come, clearly visible from Trim Castle, Hill of Lloyd, Loughcrew, Croghan Hill, Uisneach, not to mention for those homes located next to the turbines”.