Third-party appeals lodged against major Kilberry solar farm

Meath County Council's decision to grant planning permission for a major solar farm in the Kilberry/Rathkenny area has been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Circal Oak Solar Limited was recently granted a 10-year planning permission for the development of a solar farm over 149 hectares on townlands including Chamberstown, Scottstown, Shalvanstown, Mullagha, Rathcoon and Corballis. The solar farm would be operational for 40 years and the planning application also includes its subsequent decommissioning.

The proposal includes the construction and operation of up to 559,033 square metres of solar PV arrays on ground-mounted metal frames with a maximum overall height of up to 2.96m.

Local residents were strongly opposed to the plans and raised a number of concerns including the suitability of the proposed lands, the loss of prime agricultural lands to solar, the impact on biodiversity and the fact that there are already a number of solar farms either granted or in the planning process in the general area.

SIMPL - Stop Industrialising Meath Pasture Lands - was formed last year following news that Circal Oak Solar Limited was in the process of seeking planning permission for the 368-acre solar farm.

Three third party appeals were recently lodged against the granting of planning permission for the development including one from SIMPL which will now be considered by An Coimisiún Pleanala.