July 9, 2020
Ireland

Granard residents concerned by size of proposed turbine

Thomas Lyons | The Anglo-Celt | July 7, 2020 | www.anglocelt.ie

A proposal to erect an industrial turbine, potentially taller than the Spire in Dublin, close to the town of Granard, Co Longford, is “causing concern” for local residents.

The proposed wind turbine at Kiernan Milling (for a maximum height of 169m) is designed to supply power for the existing milling business.

Granardkille Local Residents Group, who have formally objected to the plans, say there was no public consultation with local house owners prior to lodging the planning application with Longford County Council. They say concerns include the effect on the local landscape.

“It will be visible from 20km and will be seen from parts of Cavan, Westmeath, Meath, Leitrim as well as Longford,” a spokesperson from Granardkille Local Residents Group said.

“We only found out about this when we read the notice in the local paper. There should have been consultation with the residents first. We already have the highest Norman Motte in Ireland at which an exciting multi million euro tourism investment is in development. It’s been brought to fruition by a local voluntary committee with the support of the people of Granard. There will be an impact on the view from the motte if the highest wind turbine in Ireland is just over 1,000 metres away,” they continue.

They added: “We have always fully supported Kieran Milling in this area but we have to make a stand on this particular issue because of the documented harmful events of turbines such as shadow flicker and noise.

They also surmised: “This could open the door to a wind farm on the site as the operator GaleTech Energy Services have included this term in their planning submission.”

The group say the objections are based on practical considerations. “We are pro renewable energy but not to a development of this scale and size. The Granard area is part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and the motte development of a 15-acre Norman Living History Village is set to become their flagship project, which will complement the existing CenterParcs in Longford Forest,” they concluded.

Public submissions closed on June 27 last with 32 individual submissions made on the plans, some of them outright objections. Irish Water, the Environmental Health Service, the Irish Aviation Authority and Fáilte Ireland were among those to make representations on the planning application, as well as a number of named residents in the area.

Kiernan Milling was contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of printing.

Longford County Council is due to make a decision on the planning application on or before July 18.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/07/09/granard-residents-concerned-by-size-of-proposed-turbine/