November 1, 2018
Ireland

Plans for Kildare wind farm due to be lodged imminently

By Niamh O'Donoghue | Leinster Leader | 31 Oct 2018 | www.leinsterleader.ie

A group campaigning against a proposed 12-turbine Kildare wind farm said information received from Coillte indicates the planning application is due to be lodged soon.

The application will be in the name of Statkraft Ireland Limited, formally owned by Element Power.

“Coillte have informed their stakeholders about a proposal ‘to locate 4 turbines and up to 110kv substation and amenity trails at the Dunfierth and Kilmurry Coillte properties as part of a 12 wind turbine development proposal by Statkraft Ireland Limited’ for the Drehid Wind Farm,” said a spokesperson for Drehid Against Wind Turbines.

In the correspondence, Coillte states it is not the developer of this project. The application will be lodged with Kildare County Council.

Coilte further state “as part of the planning process, it will be advertised in local newspapers and a Site Notice will be erected on the subject lands inviting submissions/observations from members of the public.”

“Drehid Against Wind Turbines states that this is the third time that an attempt is being made to foist industrial wind turbines on the communities of North West Kildare,” said a spokesperson for the anti-wind farm group.

“An Bord Pleanala had already turned down the Maighne Wind Farm application on two occasions. The second refusal came after Element Power took a Judicial Review against the Boards first refusal. As a result of the Judicial Review the application was remitted to the Board but was again refused planning permission.

“The proposal formally known as The Maighe Wind Farm has now morphed into The Drehid Wind Farm. Serious questions must be asked of our politicians and councillors why after five years nothing has been done to protect the homes and constituents of North West Kildare from 169m high industrial wind turbines.”

The group said politicians and developers are “well aware of the negative effects of industrial wind turbines”.

In 2014, 7,500 submissions were sent to the government in response to the wind energy guidelines which were due to be published in 2014.

“The people of Kildare are still waiting on these guidelines. What are our politicians going to do about that… we are now waiting over four years. Drehid Against Turbines will be holding a public meeting soon.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/11/01/plans-for-kildare-wind-farm-due-to-be-lodged-imminently/