Kentstown Power plant planning permission to be appealed
Stop Kentstown Power Plant Group (KPPG) announced they will make an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála following Meath County Council’s (MCC) decision to grant planning permission for a gas-fired peaking power plant in Kentstown.
This came soon after a community meeting yesterday in Kentstown Village Park Hub which discussed their next steps following this decision by MCC.
A KPPG spokesperson said they are “deeply disappointed and shocked by Meath County Council's decision to wrongfully grant permission for the proposed fossil fuel power plant in our community.
“This decision goes directly against multiple national and county energy and climate policies, initiatives, and stated objectives.”
Polarisgate Ltd was seeking a 10-year planning permission for the development consisting of three open cycle gas turbine generators each with a 30m high stack on a 19-acre site at Curraghtown, Brownstown. The plant is planned to have a 40-year operation period and would provide back-up electricity to the national grid.
It would be located next to Knockharley Landfill and near the Kentstown national school. It will also be possible to see the plant from the historical and touristic sites Hill of Tara, Hill of Slane, and the Knowth passage tombs.
In December, the Council had requested detailed clarification on 21 separate points from the developer, including the project’s necessity, environmental impact, traffic implications, and the potential effect on heritage sites.
Local opposition group Stop Kentstown Power Plant had claimed that Polarisgate itself admitted Ireland has already reached the Government’s target for 2GW of flexible gas generation capacity, with over 3GW of similar projects already granted planning permission since 2021. They claimed this rendered the Kentstown plant unnecessary and harmful, particularly in light of the recent EPA report warning that Ireland is likely to miss its 2030 emissions target potentially resulting in EU fines of up to €26 billion.
Despite these concerns, Meath County Council has now approved the project.
The group set up a fundraiser linked here for people who wish donate and help fund professional advisors for the appeals process.