June 19, 2011
Ireland

Over 600 object to plans for wind farm

The Argus, www.argus.ie. 15 June 2011

The full extent of opposition to the proposed development of a wind farm at Rockmarshall is now emerging.

Over 600 concerned individuals comprising residents and visitors to the area have already signed a petition opposing the development and the number of signatories are growing.

In addition over 110 individual observations /objections have been lodged with Louth County Council.

The Protect Rockmarshall Mountain Group have also lodged a formal objection to the proposed development. The objection was prepared on their behalf by planning and development consultants with input from landscape architects.

The group object on the grounds that the site at Rockmarshall is not suitable for a wind farm because of a significant number of planning reasons based on the Louth County Development Plan, national guidelines etc. and demonstrate that there is a lack of planning rationale or justification for its selection.

There are also concerns over visual impact, noise and other health related issues, loss of residential and recreational amenities, the impact on tourism and the precedence it creates for the rest of the Peninsula.

The site chosen by the developers for the proposed wind farm is not located within a ‘Preferred Area’ for wind farms as designated by the council in their Development Plan.

It is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is contrary to the Council’s policies in relation to the area.

The group believe that the Rockmarshall site has been selected solely to maximise the commercial gain to the developer.

‘ The council’s Development Plan should not be readily set aside or its requirements diluted or the impact on local people ignored for the developer’s commercial gain,’ they say in a statement issued this week.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/19/over-600-object-to-plans-for-wind-farm/