The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
A WINDFARM development proposed for a site in west Clare will not be fast-tracked, An Bord Pleanála has decided. Whitebeam Renewables had made a case to allow plans for six turbines, an energy storage unit and a substation to go directly to the board, under the provisions of the Strategic Infrastructure Act. The development is earmarked for a site covering the townlands of Doolough, Glenmore and Cahermurphy, 4.5km north of Kilmihil. In a decision made earlier this month, the appeals board decided that while the development would meet the criteria as an energy infrastructure project, it does not qualify for the fast-track application process on the grounds of its scale. The board received a request in June from Whitebeam Renewables for a determination on whether or not the development could be submitted as a Strategic Infrastructure application. This would cut down on the likelihood of hurdles like objections and appeals. Consultation meetings took place in July and September and Whitebeam …
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