LACK OF CONSULTATION has stalled plans for a 109 hectare solar farm across rural parts of Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Further information has been requested by Clare County Council for the development which spans across the townlands of Ballycar, Lislea, Killulla, Mogullaun, Crossagh, Ralahine South, Culleen, Drumline and Ballycasey Beg.
Meath based renewable energy firm GP Joule LTD have applied for a ten year development phase at the site which they have stated will have a forty year lifespan when built. The plans include 256 inverters which convert the electricity generated and 24 transformer units. The planning department has stated that the development has “strong potential to fail” however due to its large size and potential environmental impact on the surrounding area.
Shannon Airport have expressed concern over potential glint and glare for aviation arising from the development. Green Party representative for Ennis Bridget Ginnity has supported the development.
The local authority has highlighted the potentially negative impact of the development on the local bat and bird populations. The planning department has found that the Ecological Impact Assessment and Natura Impact Assessment provided have “been carried out are limited in scope and that full and completed surveys are required”. Clare County Council stated that “these fields can provide habitats of critical importance for these species” in reference to the various bat and bird species whose habitats are under threat from the development.
The size of the development has also been questioned with the Council saying, “The planning authority is of the view that the subject development should be reduced in terms of overall length on which solar panels are to be located in order to reduce the overall impact on the surrounding landscape”. The planning authority has also asked for more drawings of the PV panels to be provided along with a traffic assessment report.
A number of local residents as well as others have also objected to the development. Declan and Lorna Kilker of Mogullaan, Newmarket-on-Fergus have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of public consultation during the planning process. They stated that after a public consultation on November 20th 2024, “no representative from GP Joule Ireland has subsequently been in contact to engage about the proposed development and address our own concerns or to examine the impact visually or otherwise”.
“The public consultation meeting itself was wholly inadequate, where attendees were presented with a drone type overhead display on screen of the impacted townland parcels and then had to ascertain which townland they resided in. No representative for the applicant was able to advise”, they continued.
Leona Glennon of Culleen said that she had received no consultation despite the development due to go ahead less than 100 metres from her home.
Maria Hinfelaar and Graham Park of Mogullaan were also unsatisfied with the visuals presented and objected to the development on the grounds that they were “very sketchy and provided only drone shots of the terrain with some project boundary lines drawn across it. These visuals did not go beyond the information on the leaflets which had been previously dropped through the door. There was some general information about solar farms but again nothing specific about the proposed development”.
Many residents also highlighted the potentially negative visual impact of the site with Gerard McMahon of Kilulla stating that “The proposed solar farm will have an extreme and unacceptable visual impact to a significant number of residents in the area, including myself and my family”.
Niall Ginnane expressed concerns over the impact the development could have on the mental health of locals due to loss of visual amenity. He raised concerns that “the planting of any additional screening plus the erection of this fencing will only contribute to further block out the rolling hill views we currently have. We fully enjoy and appreciate the beauty of living in the open countryside and this solar farm will have an ongoing negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing and will destroy the beautiful views that we paid dearly for when we bought our site and constructed our home”.
This sentiment was echoed by Sean and Anne Stafford, whose views would also be obstructed by the development. They stated that the development is “entirely out of character with the surrounding landscape. Given the topography of the area, the panels will remain highly visible despite any proposed hedgerow planting, as the height and density of the installation will exceed any potential vegetative buffer”.
GP Joule have a six month period to address the eight conditions set out by the planning authority with a revised application.
