April 16, 2014
Ireland

Green light for Glenlough, Rossmore windfarm

Tipperary Star | 16 April 2014 | www.tipperarystar.ie

An Bord Pleanála has granted a 10-year planning permission to Ecopower to build three wind turbines in Glenough Lower/Turraheen Lower, Rossmore, near Thurles

South Tipperary Co. Co. initially rejected permission for the windfarm on October 22nd 2013. The turbines will have a height of up to 126.6 meters, along with an electrical control building, and access roads. An Taisce, the Dept. of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, the Irish Aviation Authority, and Gerard Ryan, of Turraheen, Rossmore, all lodged submissions in relation to the plans. The Council regarded the windfarm to be located within the catchment of the Multeen River which is classified as being of “high status under the Water Framework Directive.” Also, “the applicant (had) not addressed the principal items of concern from a roads and traffic perspective.” In their grounds of appeal, Ecopower argued that that any potential impacts on the Multeen River were addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and that the proposed wind farm is located “in a modified environment of agriculture grassland and conifer plantation and in a preferred area for wind farm development in accordance with the County Development Plan.” On April 1st, the state planning appeals board ruled in favour of Ecopower, albeit subject to 18 conditions. Some of these include: “details of the … tubines shall be submitted to the Irish Aviation Authority. If required, warning lights shall be affixed to the turbines at the developer’s expense, in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Aviation Authority. Cables within the site shall be run underground. The wind turbines shall be geared to ensure that the blades rotate in same direction. The finished level of all turbine foundations shall not be more than 300 millimetres over existing ground level at the location of each such turbine. All oils and fuels shall be stored in bunded areas. Details shall be submitted to the planning authority prior to the commencement of development.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/04/16/green-light-for-glenlough-rossmore-windfarm/