October 22, 2014
Ireland

Council says no to windfarm

Dónal Nolan | The Kerryman | 22/10/2014 | www.independent.ie

Windfarm protestors in Finuge are now calling on the Stacks Mountain Windfarm company behind the windfarm plan that was refused by Kerry County Council last week to drop it completely.

Kerry County Council refused the company permission on Wednesday to go ahead with its plan to erect ten of the tallest wind turbines in the country in the Ballyhorgan area of Finuge. However, it is now likely the matter will be appealed to An Bord Pleanála by the company behind it.

But local protestors who have been campaigning vociferously against the plans since last year now ask the company and the local landowners who have agreed to host the turbines to ‘stop the process going any further’. The plans sparked intense anger as locals became aware of the scale of the proposed project in the months prior to the lodgement of the initial planning – on January 16 last.

Organising under the name North Kerry Wind Turbine Awareness Group (NKWTAG), objecting locals held public meetings as well as a number of eye-catching publicity stunts including the flying of large balloons to the height of the planned turbines – in a bid to show people exactly the scale of the project.

Chief among the group’s concerns was the fear that light-flicker and noise from the turbines would impact on health in the area.

However, windfarm company Enerco said this would not be the case and that it would move to limit any light-flicker on bright days in accordance with the strict guidelines that are supposed to regulate light-flicker to a minimum of a half-hour in the day on individual homes.

Kerry County Council refused the project last week on the grounds its visual impact would be too great on the local landscape by dint of the sheer size of the machines, amid other concerns.

Stacks Mountain Windfarm’s original planning application drew more objections than any other application in the history of the council by a considerable margin at the start of the year – more than 300 people submitted objections.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/10/22/council-says-no-to-windfarm/