October 20, 2015
Ireland

Supreme court dismisses latest action against Derrybrien windfarm

Galway Bay fm newsroom | October 19, 2015 | galwaybayfm.ie

The Supreme Court has dismissed the latest action against Derrybrien windfarm.

The Derrybrien Development Society asked the Court to declare that planning decisions relating to a wind farm development on a mountain at Derrybrien, did not permit the deforestation of more than 115 thousand trees.

However the Supreme Court refused the request and the Development Society says it’s shocked and deeply disappointed by the ruling relating to the area of the 2003 landslide

It’s 12 years since the environmental disaster at Cashlaundrunlahan mountain., which caused significant damage to surrounding areas.

According to an estimate by Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, the incident killed around 50,000 fish and dislodged 450 thousand cubic metres of peat.

A high court order in 2005 stated that the immediate cause was most probably the construction works for a windfarm.

The case has been heard on a number of occasions at national and European level since 2005 – the most recent case is the appeal taken by the Derrybrien Development Society last year.

The group claims that no planning permission was sought or granted for the felling of around 650 acres of forestry on the windfarm site, and no Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out as required by Irish and EU legislation.

The group says the local community is deeply disappointed at the Supreme Court’s refusal of the appeal, as the action was taken in a bid to protect the local environment.

The Derrybrien Development Society says it will now carefully consider the judgement.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/10/20/supreme-court-dismisses-latest-action-against-derrybrien-windfarm/