Not a windy county, but six areas suitable for wind farms
Six areas in Offaly are considered suitable for large-scale wind farm development.
That’s according to Offaly County Council, who carried out a feasibility study of wind farms as part of the next county development plan.
North of Rhode, Cloneygowen to Clonbullogue, Corracullin Bog, Castletown Bog, east of Shannonbridge and south of Cloghan are the six areas identified.
There has been interest expressed by developers, particularly for the low-lying bog areas, councillors were told at last Friday’s meeting.
However, studies found that Offaly is no windy city.
“As an inland county we wouldn’t have as much potential as coastal counties, but there is some potential,” a consultant from CAAS told the councillors.
Councillor Noel Bourke expressed his relief that the plan for wind turbines in the centre of Edenderry was “thankfully withdrawn”. He said that the council should put whatever measures in place to ensure that the turbines are not erected in built-up areas.
He said that people should not be subjected to the type of worry that the residents of St Francis Street in Edenderry had endured.
He wanted to know if the council had included any policy regarding the future siting of turbines in built-up areas. “Where do we stand with regard to that sort of thing? Will it be allowed?” he asked.
He was told that a section in the Draft Wind Energy Strategy addressed this.
“In the case of wind energy development being proposed within or adjacent to urban/developed areas, the relevant authority will have regard to the Wind Energy Development Guidelines (2006)… when determining any planning application for wind energy development, in addition to the policies of the relevant Development Plan,” said the report.
There are a number of exemptions for turbine plans in an urban area and every application would be assessed with regard to the 2006 guidelines such as noise and visual pollution, said County Manager Pat Gallagher.
It was agreed that the plans for potential wind farm development will go on public display.
3 October 2008
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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