It seems that the wind farm proposals are now the subject of some concern. Archive Image
The Western Isles Planning Applications Board has given its backing to a series of recommendations supporting revised proposals for the Stornoway Wind Farm Development, and concluding that there is ‘no public interest’ in a Public Local Inquiry being held into the matter.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is now set to consider the recommendations at a meeting of the Full Council tomorrow, as it determines its response to Scottish Ministers on the plans.
The revised plans for the development could see 35 turbines being developed at the windfarm site to the west of Stornoway, with a generation capacity of 196kws.
The Ornua Co-Operative has unveiled details of a major expansion project at its Kerrygold Park site in Mitchelstown, with the company saying the development will bring a significant financial boost to the town and the wider north Cork region.
A planning application for the development is due to be lodged with Cork County Council next month, with the company hoping to start and complete work on the €40 million project, which will take approximately a year to complete, during the summer.
The proposal makes provision for a new butter churn and cream processing infrastructure, two new packaging lines, additional cold storage capacity, extended office space and extra car parking space on existing grounds within the campus.
A map showing the route of the cable
It is the first privately funded interconnector in Europe and will connect EirGrid s Great Island 220kV substation and the UK National Grid s Pembroke transmission substation, with separate applications required on both sides of the Irish sea.
Planning permission has been sought from An Bord Pleanála for a new converter station, tail station and MV substation at Great Island, 23km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity cables, 420m of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cables, 23.42km of fibre optic cable, 54 car parking spaces on the access road to Baginbun Beach and the provision of footpaths and street lighting in Ramsgrange village as community benefit projects along with various temporary construction, cable and drilling compounds, on an overall proposed development site of more than 200 acres.
Huge planning boost for South Kilkenny wind farm
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); Castlebanny Wind Farm has been granted ‘strategic infrastructure project’ status by An Bord Pleanála.
This will allow project developers, ART Generation and Coillte, to send their planning application directly to An Bord Pleanála, and bypass the local planning approval phase.
The proposed wind farm would be located in South County Kilkenny, 2.2km South-East of Ballyhale, 4.5km North-East of Mullinavat and 5.8km South-West of Inistioge.
It entails the construction of 21 wind turbines up to a maximum tip height of 185 metres, 3 onsite borrow pits to source stone, one onsite met mast of 100m in height as well as the provision of amenity facilities to allow and encourage public access to the site.
Portlaoise renewable gas plant due for planning decision
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A decision is imminent on whether a renewable gas plant can be built on the outskirts of Portlaoise.
Bord na Móna is seeking to build the new plant on bogland in Cúl na Móna near the M7 motorway.
A decision is due by Tuesday January 5 from Laois County Council. The application received over 260 submissions from the public in objection to it.
Among them were ones from Laois TDs Sean Fleming and Brian Stanley.
Deputy Fleming said it had unknown risks with a risk of massive stockpiles creating unknown odours and serious health hazards as material brought to Laois would be stored waiting to be spread on lands here.