161-hectare Cork solar farm refused permission amid fears of impact on sensitive archaeology
The application said that the solar farm would have an operational lifespan of 40 years and would generate enough electricity to power almost 49,000 homes.
Cork County Council refused the application, stating that 'the applicant has not demonstrated that sufficient archaeological investigations have been undertaken to guide the proposed development towards preserving in-situ potential archaeological features and thereby safeguarding archaeological heritage.'
The area in which the solar farm was to be built features a number of standing stones, fulacht fiadh (Bronze Age cooking pits) and other objects of archaeological interest.
In its decision document the council said that the proposed development would contravene the County Development Plan, seriously injure the amenities of property in the vicinity, and set an undesirable precedent. 'The proposed development is therefore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,' it concluded.
The application received over 200 objections expressing concerns about the environmental and health implications, the scale of the development and a lack of community consultation.
Aglish Solar Farm Limited has four weeks to lodge an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála. A company spokesperson told the Irish Independent that the company is currently reviewing the council's decision and 'the probability is that we will appeal it.'
Cork has become a hotspot for solar farm projects. In July alone Cork County Council granted permission for a 47-hectare solar farm between Rathcormac and Castlelyons and a battery storage facility in Curraduff, Newmarket.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Compensation payments for Cork boundary changes could push council into deficit, warns boss
Cork City Council is concerned that the uncertain duration and high cost of paying compensation to its sister local authority, Cork County Council, for boundary changes could place major regeneration projects for the city in jeopardy. Chief executive Valerie O'Sullivan has raised questions about the council's ability to finance such projects due to the burden of the annual compensation payments, which she claimed was 'unsustainable'. Under the terms of legislation governing the boundary extension of Cork City Council's administrative area in 2019, it must pay annual compensation to Cork County Council for a minimum 10-year period. Under the boundary changes, the expansion of Cork City Council's administrative area increased almost fivefold, with an increased population of approximately 85,000 covering areas including Douglas, Rochestown, Ballincollig, Blarney, and Glanmire. The first compensation payment to Cork County Council in 2020 was just over €13m but the annual figure had increased to €15.4m by last year due to inflation. Officials in Cork City Council have estimated that inflation could increase the overall compensation bill over the 10 years by at least €22m. Ms O'Sullivan's comments were made at a recent meeting between senior council executives and a delegation from the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) – a local authority watchdog – as part of NOAC's routine scrutiny programme. The council's chief executive said the issue of the compensation payments was 'something that is ongoing but never spoken about.' "It was a deal that was to last for 10 years, index-linked, and no one could have foreseen at the time the way interest rates would go – the way covid would come along and the war in Ukraine and all these things that have increased the interest portion in particular of that.' Ms O'Sullivan also expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding what happens at the end of the 10-year agreement". 'We don't know what 2029 holds in terms of cessation or are working hard on that, I would say in partnership with Cork County Council, because they have to prepare for the cessation of the payment and we have to prepare for what the outcome will be,' said Ms O'Sullivan. You can't just drive a ship like Cork City Council into a deficit budget. However, Ms O'Sullivan said that is exactly what was happening as a result of the requirement to make an annual compensation payment. The council's head of finance, John Hallahan, also expressed concern about the uncertainty over whether the council will have to make further compensation payments after 2029. Mr Hallahan pointed out that Cork City Council required certainty on the issue as it will need to borrow in excess of €100m over the coming years to qualify for the 75% funding from the Government's Urban Regeneration and Development Fund for major projects planned for the Docklands and city centre areas. 'We need to have certainty brought after the 10 years,' said Mr Hallahan.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
161-hectare Cork solar farm refused permission amid fears of impact on sensitive archaeology
Aglish Solar Farm Limited had applied for a 10-year permission to put solar panels on six parcels of land around the southern bank of the river Lee, about 25 km west of Cork city. The solar farm did not include battery storage and was to connect to the grid using a new substation on the site. The application said that the solar farm would have an operational lifespan of 40 years and would generate enough electricity to power almost 49,000 homes. Cork County Council refused the application, stating that 'the applicant has not demonstrated that sufficient archaeological investigations have been undertaken to guide the proposed development towards preserving in-situ potential archaeological features and thereby safeguarding archaeological heritage.' The area in which the solar farm was to be built features a number of standing stones, fulacht fiadh (Bronze Age cooking pits) and other objects of archaeological interest. In its decision document the council said that the proposed development would contravene the County Development Plan, seriously injure the amenities of property in the vicinity, and set an undesirable precedent. 'The proposed development is therefore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,' it concluded. The application received over 200 objections expressing concerns about the environmental and health implications, the scale of the development and a lack of community consultation. Aglish Solar Farm Limited has four weeks to lodge an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála. A company spokesperson told the Irish Independent that the company is currently reviewing the council's decision and 'the probability is that we will appeal it.' Cork has become a hotspot for solar farm projects. In July alone Cork County Council granted permission for a 47-hectare solar farm between Rathcormac and Castlelyons and a battery storage facility in Curraduff, Newmarket.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- RTÉ News
Aer Lingus CEO calls for removal of Dublin Airport night-time noise restrictions
The Aer Lingus chief executive has said the recent An Coimisiún Pleanála decision on night-time noise at Dublin Airport introduced an "unnecessary" annual movement restriction, which is likely to impede both future growth of north Atlantic traffic and the basing of more short-haul aircraft in Dublin. "This restriction on night-time movements will have to be removed," Lynne Embleton stated. "Together with the continued uncertainty around the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, it will have negative economic and employment impacts," the Aer Lingus CEO said. "It is also now imperative that Government intervenes and urgently legislates for the removal of the passenger cap," she added. Her comments come as Aer Lingus reported operating profits of €135m for the second quarter of this year, a significant improvement on its operating profit of €91m the same time last year. The airline, which is owned by IAG, said this takes its operating profit for the first half of 2025 to €80m, compared to €9m for the first half of 20204. Aer Lingus said its strong performance was driven by capacity growth and a robust revenue performance, while it also saw the benefit of favourable fuel pricing. It saw a 4.3% increase in passenger numbers in the three month period, while it also reported 10.9% growth in overall capacity. Aer Lingus began operating its biggest ever North American network this summer including the start of new services from Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis as well as an expanded European leisure network. It also announced its first direct flight to Cancún in Mexico, which is due to start in January 2026. Ms Embleton said the airline's second quarter financial performance builds upon the momentum seen in the business in both the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
