April 18, 2012
Ireland

Group’s warning on Donegal wind farms

www.inishowennews.com 18 April 2012

A Donegal conservation group has warned that half the rural townlands in the county have been rezoned as ‘preferred areas for wind farm development’ in the draft County Development Plan 2012-2018.
The Gweebarra Conservation Group says councillors will vote on the plan in June of this year.
“The planners’ decision to rezone over 2,300 townlands, many containing Special Areas of Conservation and areas of High Scenic Amenity, was made with little public consultation as the clause was inserted into the Draft Development Plan in the autumn after the public consultation meetings on the Draft Development Plan which were held last summer.”
The Gweebarra Conservation Group said few members of the public know about the new clause. The group says the Council has been lobbied by the wind energy sector while they have yet to get a meeting with the local authority.
The group currently has more than 1,100 local supporters on its Facebook page and says it has convened many packed public meetings on the issue in south west Donegal.
Gweebarra Conservation Group released their statement following An Taisce’s criticism of planning in Co Donegal this week.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/18/groups-warning-on-donegal-wind-farms/