East Clare turbine decision leaves residents blown away

A PLANNING saga involving a controversial wind turbine erected on the outskirts of Parteen took a new twist after Clare County Council granted retention planning permission.

An Enforcement Notice issued by Clare County Council on March 8, 2021, requested Limerick Blow Moulding to decommission and remove a wind turbine erected near the factory on or before Thursday, April 8, 2021 following an alleged breach of a planning permission condition. However, the wind turbine, remained in situ, though it was not operational.

The company applied for retention permission for a revised site boundary and revised position of a single 800 KW wind turbine, 73 metres high to hub height, as granted under previous planning permissions at Gortatogher, Parteen.

Employing 70 people, with more than half living in Parteen, Clonlara and Killaloe, Limerick Blow Moulding manufactures food packaging for the Irish Dairy industry, and pharmaceutical packaging for export into the UK and Europe.

Seamus Madden, c/o Limerick Blow Moulding, was granted planning permission to erect a single 800kW wind turbine, 73 meters high with a rotor diameter of 53 meters, and with ancillary road access at Knockballynameath, Parteen on May 28 2010, subject to 12 planning conditions.

Before planning permission expired, an application for an extension of time was submitted by the applicant and this was granted on January 26, 2016, extending planning permission until 2021.

In a submission to the planning authority, MKO Planning and Environmental Consultants recalled the council received a number of submissions objecting to the development, which was constructed on February 13, 2021.

On March 2, 2021, a council survey found the wind turbine was built about 37 metres to the north-east of the location that had been granted planning permission.

The local planning authority has now granted planning permission to the company to retain this structure, despite a huge volume of objections, subject to seven conditions.

In a follow up submission to his previous objection, Parteen resident Henry O’Boyle asked how it is possible to apply for retention in a location where the council has issued a removal notice.

“Does this mean that this option is open to everyone should they blatantly breach planning permission guidelines? If so, it makes a farce of planning permission. May I also ask the question concerning penalties, will the council follow up on fines for the refusal of the developer to remove this illegal wind turbine?”

Deputy Cathal Crowe has expressed disappointment with the council’s decision to grant retention permission for a controversial wind turbine in Parteen.

“I had joined local residents in objecting to this planning application and, as a member of the local community, it was my real sense that a strong majority of locals were opposed to the presence of this turbine.

“The grievances I and other locals had centred around the height and location of the turbine. The turbine stands the same height as the famous Big Ben clock in London and towers over nearby homes.

“It was granted permission more than a decade ago and this application was renewed in recent years, but was only built during the pandemic and took people by surprise.”

The authority made its decision having regard to national and regional policy with regard to the development of sustainable energy, policies in the Clare County Development Plan, the varied Clare Wind Energy Strategy, the location of the site within the Western Corridor Working Landscape, the pattern of existing and permitted development and prevailing land uses in the area.

“It is considered that, subject to compliance with conditions set out, the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity, would not seriously injure the visual amenities or landscape character of the area, would not create and unacceptable risk of environmental pollution or have an adverse impact on the ecology of the area and would not otherwise be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.”

This permission is valid for 20 years from the date of commissioning of the wind turbine, unless planning permission for a further period has been granted.

Shadow flicker from the proposed development can’t exceed 30 hours per year or 30 minutes per day at dwellings or other sensitive receptors as outlined in the Shadow Flicker Assessment Report, which was received by the authority. The operation of the wind turbine can’t result in noise levels that are greater than five dBA above background noise levels between the hours of 7am and 11pm.

In his written submission supporting this application on behalf of management and staff of Limerick Blow Moulding, factory manager, Mark Stanton, outlined the war in Ukraine had transformed their wind turbine project from a key advantage into a necessity for survival.