Wind farm planning decision 'within next fortnight'

A decision on the controversial planning application to build wind farms in north Meath is likely to be made within the next fortnight.

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has said that solicitors for An Bord Pleanala have issued a notice stating that a decision for the Emlagh Wind Farm planning application will be made within the next 14 days.

The Meath East TD said that, earlier this week, the board received the report from the Bord Pleanala inspector some three months later than expected. 'This delay is assumed to be attributed to the extraordinarily high volume of written and oral submissions made in objection to the proposed development which could see the erection of 46 industrial wind turbines in County Meath,” she said.

She added: “For almost two years, we have witnessed mammoth public outcry and given the hundreds upon hundreds of people who showed at the oral hearing before the summer, should planning be granted I really do fear for the worst.

“It is clear that the masses are utterly against this development, the proposed location of which is wrong on so many levels. Last June, we saw ABP refuse planning permission for the development of Cregg Windfarm, also located in County Meath.

'The reasons provided by ABP for this rejection include unprecedented and undue interference to the landscape. If six turbines in north Meath are refused on these grounds, well then there is something seriously wrong if 46 industrial-sized wind turbines are not considered to pose the same, let alone bigger, problem.”