Members of a group opposed to a West Clare wind farm are confident Clare County Council will not give the green light to the development.
Strong local opposition has been evident to the application from Mid Clare Renewable Energy Windfarm Ltd for a 170-metre tall, 10-turbine wind farm at Cahermurphy, near Kilmihil which was lodged in November.
Of the 115 submissions, 104 submissions to the request for further information while 11 were in favour including two local GAA clubs.
According to Mid Clare Renewable Energy Windfarm Ltd, the development will positively benefit the community’s environment, and contribute around €350,000 in rates to Clare County Council, along with establishing a Community Benefit Fund.
Clare TD, Violet Anne Wynne (SF), Senator Roisin Garvey (GP), Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) have objected to the development. Shannon representatives, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) and Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) also made submissions against the plans as did Cllr Susan Crawford (GP), Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF), Cllr Ian Lynch (IND), Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) and Cllr Shane Talty (FF).
The Cahermurphy 2 Opposition Group, composed of over 100 residents, are confident that Clare County Council will comprehensively turn down the application. “These enormous industrial turbines would be 50m higher than the existing turbines on Mt. Callan and the 3 existing turbines in Cahermurphy,” a spokesperson commented.
Members of the opposition group have said the site is “entirely unsuitable for an industrial development of this kind. The area is already saturated with wind turbines. At present, there are 107 operational industrial wind turbines within a 12k radius of Cahermurphy, with planning permission granted for another 30”.
Concern was voiced by the Group on the development of wind farms in West Clare “at an alarming rate without due regard for habitats and local homeowners. The destruction of large swathes of bogland and replacement with thousands of tonnes of concrete will contribute to flooding, potential landslides, contamination of local waterways and destruction of rich local biodiversity”.
A decision is due to be announced next week.
Meanwhile in a motion to go before the West Clare Municipal District this month, Cllr Lynch has proposed that Clare County Council cease the granting of planning for onshore wind farms in the MD.
