Planning permission approved for 500-acre solar farm
Meath County Council has given the green light for a 500-acre solar farm on lands in the townlands of Mulhussey, Batterstown, Longtown, Mullagh, Milltown and Kilcock, Co Meath.
GP Joule Ireland Limited has been granted a ten-year planning permission for the construction of a 205.15-hectare solar farm and underground grid connection route.
The solar farm is proposed for three separate land parcels divided by local roads and consists of a series of ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, mounted on steel support structures and in some areas on concrete shoes to protect possible underground archaeological features, together with 58 electrical transformation enclosures, and underground cabling.
The proposed solar farm would have a 40-year operation and the planning application also included its subsequent decommissioning. Some 40 submissions were made on the plans by local residents and a further 29 were submitted at further information stage.
Among the concerns raised were the impact on residential amenity such as glint and glare and noise, the visual impact, the impact on the character of the area, the devaluation of property, the impact on wildlife and biodiversity, the impact on agriculture and food security, the impact on the local school and health and safety concerns.
Among the submissions was one from St Joseph's NS, Mulhussey, which raised a number of concerns including that heavy good vehicles accessing the site during construction could pose a hazard for pupils walking and cycling to and from school, that traffic congestion outside the school could present a danger particularly at drop off and collection times, concerns about noise during construction and operational noise from the inverters and/or transformers, and the possible impact of glint and glare on the use of whiteboards.
Meath Co Council has granted permission for the development subject to conditions. Residents have a one month period in which they can lodge an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
Meanwhile, a planning application has been lodged with Meath County Council for a solar farm development at Peterstown, Trim. Loughglynn Developments Ltd is seeking a 10 year planning permission for a Solar PV Panel Array consisting of up to 10,000 Solar PV Panels on ground mounted steel frames on a 6.76 hectare site. The plans also include an ESB Substation, Power Inverter Units, Underground Cable Ducts, Perimeter Security Fence, CCTV Masts, and Solar Lighting.