June 28, 2016
Ireland

Scenic and tranquil area again under threat from wind turbine application

Sean Keanesean | Kilkenny People | 28 Jun 2016 | www.kilkennypeople.ie

A wind company has submitted an application for eight wind turbines on Carrigadoon and Curraghdobbin Hills above Faugheen and Ahenny in Tipperary and Tullahought in Kilkenny.

This is the third application by DunoAir for 126.5 metre high turbines in the foothills of Slievenamon within one year, and the fourth attempt by a wind company to erect wind turbines within the solar alignment of the hugely important Knockroe Passage Tomb.

“These turbines would be highly visible all along the Suir Valley’, said Pete Smith from the Suir Valley Environmental Group.

If successful this would affect large areas of Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny, damaging not just the visual amenity and the iconic landscape of Slievenamon, but our heritage and local environment, and threatening our school and our local economy,” Mr Smith said.

‘There are less than three weeks in which to submit objections to Tipperary County Council,” he added. ‘The government and the wind industry have made lots of noise recently about community engagement and yet DunoAir has failed to inform our community about their plans or engage with us in any meaningful way so we are running advice clinics for anyone who wants to learn more and who wishes to submit observations,” Mr smith added.

The first advice clinic will be in Newtown Upper National School, Ahenny, 11am – 6pm, on Saturday.

The second will be in the Faugheen Clubhouse on Sunday July 3, 10.30am – noon. The closing date for submission of observations is July 18.

Locals believe that this is an opportunistic attempt by the company to get their application in before the County Council has a chance to protect the foothills of Slievenamon from exactly this kind of development.

The turbines are planned for an area which Tipperary County Council proposes to close to wind energy in their new Tipperary Renewable Energy Strategy. On Monday, May 23, more than 850 submissions were sent to the County Council to support the proposal which, if given the go ahead, could be voted into the Tipperary County Development Plan in July.

The planning application is on view at the County Council offices in Clonmel and observations must be submitted by Monday July 18.

The Suir Valley Environmental Group has so set up a fundraiser which can be found at www.ifundraise.ie/2532_sos-sliabhnamban.html.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/06/28/scenic-and-tranquil-area-again-under-threat-from-wind-turbine-application/