June 22, 2017
Ireland

Longford councillors approve ‘phenomenal’ wind turbine development charges

Longford Leader | 22 Jun 2017 | www.longfordleader.ie

Companies looking to construct industrial wind turbines in Co Longford look set to be hit with a 1000 per cent development charge increase.

Councillors approved the measure following a hotly debated notice of motion submitted by Independent Cllr Mark Casey.

The Lanesboro based representative had sought members backing to raise current development charges for industrial wind turbines from €7,190 to €70,000 per megawatt produced.e

In attempting to explain his rationale for the large-scale increase, Cllr Casey said the changes would offset any losses from Longford’s tourism sector which may be brought about by the development of Bord Na Mona’s proposed Derryadd Windfarm.

“Wind farms aren’t properly challenged yet and are not properly managed,” he told last week’s meeting.

“You only have to look at Sliabh Bán where people had to leave their homes because of noise issues.”

Cllr Casey said there were simply “too many grey areas” at present concerning Bord Na Mona’s plans to erect 28 wind turbines across Derryadd, Derryaroge and Lough Bannow boglands.

But it was the response to the former Cathaoirleach’s motion from opposite sides of the council chamber which undoubtedly generated the most debate both during and after last night’s meeting.

As Fianna Fáil group leader, Cllr Seamus Butler said he would be requesting his fellow party members to abstain from any vote, insisting the proposed 1000 per cent increase was simply not feasible.

That intervention appeared to unsettle those watching on from the Fine Gael benches when Cllr Butler’s opposite number, Cllr Micheál Carrigy called for a ten minute adjournment.

When the meeting resumed a short time later, the party’s recently nominated general election candidate said his party would be siding with Cllr Casey’s motion.

“It is a position we stand by unlike other political parties,” he said, in a direct swipe at his Fianna Fáil counterparts.

Those urgings were effectively nullified moments later when Cllr Paraic Brady, seconded by Cllr John Browne, performed a dramatic u-turn by calling for the current charges on industrial turbines to remain in place.

“What is going on here?” Cllr Mae Sexton muttered under her breath as the meeting descended into a farce.

To add to the drama, Fianna Fáil members, despite the earlier comments made by Cllr Butler, ended up voting on Cllr Casey’s proposal which was eventually carried by nine votes to five.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/06/22/longford-councillors-approve-phenomenal-wind-turbine-development-charges/