Tag Archives: windfarm

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar is under intense political pressure today, after claiming he had sought to help Donald Trump prevent a windfarm being built near Doonbeg. At a lunch in Washington yesterday, he spoke about receiving a phone call from Mr Trump three or four years ago, at which time he was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. In the call, Mr Varadkar said that the future President told him he had a problem near the golf course, where a wind farm was being proposed. Afterwards, Mr Varadkar said he tried to assist Mr Trump. “I endeavoured to do what I could do about it,” Mr Varadkar claimed. “I rang the County Council and enquired about the planning permission and subsequently the planning permission was declined and the windfarm was never built. Thus the landscape being preserved. The President has very kindly given me credit for that. Although I do think it probably would have been refused anyway. But I’m very …

Environmentalist Peter Sweetman has launched a High Court challenge against a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for an extension to an existing windfarm in County Clare. The challenge is against the board’s decision to grant ESB International permission to build an additional seven turbines at a windfarm development located Boolynagleragh, which Mr Sweetman says is “unreasoned and unreasonable,” and “contrary to law”. Represented in the action against the board by Oisin Collins Bl and O’Connell & Clarke Solicitors, Mr Sweetman seeks an order quashing the planning authority’s decision of June 13 last to grant planning permission in respect of a windfarm development at Boolynagleragh. Mr Sweetman also seeks a declaration from the court that he is entitled to pursue the action at a cost that is not prohibitive. Both Clare County Council, which in 2014 turned down the extension application and ESB International are notice parties to the proceedings. Mr Collins told the court it is …

THE company behind the 29-turbine Slieve Callan windfarm is offering grants totalling more than €1.5 million to the four communities close to the development, The Clare Champion has learned. Miltown Malbay, Kilmurry Ibrickane, Kilmaley and Inagh-Kilnamona are each to receive €100,000 of the proposed grants before the end of this year, while the remainder will be paid in instalments for up to 25 years. The developers committed to provide the funding in their planning application. Parishes will receive €20,000 a year for the first five years; €10,250 a year for the next 15 years and €5,000 annually for the last five years. Each parish is to receive approximately €378,000 from the developers, adding up to €1.515m. Public meetings were due to be held in Miltown, Inagh and Quilty on Wednesday night to address how best the money should be spent. Kilmaley Meitheal (Community Development Group) met on Tuesday night, while Kilmaley GAA Club is to hold a meeting next Monday …

CLARE County Council has been asked to conduct a thorough planning review concerning the start of civil engineering works for a €20 million windfarm amid claims it constituted unauthorised development. Councillor PJ Kelly has called on chief executive officer, Tom Coughlan, to conduct a review into how a windfarm company, Tullabrack Energy Limited, was allowed to start work on its site in  Tullabrack in West Clare despite a series of written warnings about its alleged non-compliance with planning conditions. The Lissycasey councillor wants a review to establish whether or not planning laws were administered in accordance with proper procedure and to put the necessary structures in place to ensure there is no repetition of “administrative confusion”. “It seems that one section of the council doesn’t know what the other section is doing. There is a management deficit and I am calling on Mr Coughlan to intervene,” he said. A seven-day commencement notice for an ESB substation on the site came …

CLARE County Council has granted an extension of planning permission for the construction of a windfarm with 11 turbines, access roads, cabling and a substation compound at Glenmore, Bollynamweel, Sorrel island in West Clare. The planning report stated the development had been delayed, due to circumstances beyond the control of the applicant, Clare Winds Ltd. The report says, “A cover letter, as submitted by McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan Planning Consultants, states that further works at this site have been restricted due to the delay in the required improvements to the local transmission networks, including the extension of the Eirgrid Booltiagh Substation, which has a scheduled completion of 2016. “The letter from McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan Planning Consultants goes on to state that further works on-site have been restricted, due to the delay in the required improvements to the local transmission networks, including the extension of the Eirgrid Booltiagh substation and the applicant has progressed the project in so far as is possible.” …

NEW windfarm developments in Clare may be blown off course by High Court challenges, after a group of West Clare residents became the first local opposition group to secure leave for a Judicial Review to overturn planning approval for a local windfarm. High Court Judge Marie Bake has granted members of the Coore/Shanaway Residents Group, represented by Kathleen Connelly, leave to seek a judicial teview of An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant planning permission for four 85m wind turbines in the Miltown Malbay area, on 10 grounds. The successful application for a Judicial Review was taken by resident Kathleen Connelly, the respondent was An Bord Pleanála, while the notice parties were Clare County Council and McMahon Finn Wind Acquisitions Limited. A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála said the board received the legal papers on Tuesday and has begun work on its response but it is only at the initial stages as yet. Efforts by The Clare Champion to obtain a …