Latest news with #CountyDevelopmentPlan
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Business
- 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.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Plans for major solar farm in Cork turned down over archaeological concerns
Plans for a huge solar farm spread across six separate landbanks in the scenic Lee Valley in Cork have been shot down. Cork County Council refused planning for the Aglish Solar Farm Limited project citing archaeological concerns. The 100MW solar farm would have generated enough electricity to power almost 49,000 homes. But planners said the applicant had not demonstrated that enough archaeological investigations had been undertaken to preserve in-situ potential archaeological features and to safeguard archaeological heritage. The proposed development would contravene two specific objectives of the County Development Plan linked to archaeological features, it said, and would seriously injure the amenities of property in the vicinity, and would set an undesirable precedent if granted permission. 'The proposed development is therefore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,' they said. The company lodged its planning application with the council late last year, seeking a 10-year permission for a solar farm, on six separate parcels of land totalling some 161 hectares, spread across several rural townlands south of Coachford, the River Lee and the Inniscarra Reservoir, and south east of Carrigadrohid. It was proposed to have an operational lifespan of up to 40 years. It attracted more than 200 submissions from third parties, including dozens of local residents, two residents' groups — the Farran Community Association and the Lee Valley Action Group — and from a 14-year-old boy living in the area, who wrote: 'We learn about alternative energy sources in school, but covering prime grassland is not a solution.' Most submissions cited concerns about the scale of the project, the lack of local consultation, and the visual impact in what is designated as a 'high value landscape' in the Cork County Development Plan. The Lee Valley Action Group acknowledged the need for renewable energy generation but said the project would 'fundamentally alter the character of this rural area and undermine the carrying out of agricultural and other rural-based enterprise'. 'In the absence of any national policy guidance on the development of solar farms, the location of choice for solar developments across the country is overwhelmingly focused almost exclusively on valuable greenfield farmland,' they said. 'This has led to solar energy promoters racing to identify ad hoc sites within the open countryside, which are then assessed in a general policy vacuum on an individual basis. 'Such an approach is not supported either in other EU states or the UK, where the use of commercial, brownfield and poor land is advised, and the use of good agricultural land is only allowed in exceptional circumstances." The council sought further information on several issues, including archaeology, and the applicant's planning consultants said they would complete archaeological geophysical surveys and testing if planning was granted. They said an 'appropriately worded planning condition' would alleviate any archaeological concerns on the site, while facilitating 'a positive and timely decision'. They said the "priority status" afforded to solar farm projects, in terms of fast permitting, overrides public interest when dealing with competing environmental interests, and they pointed to a 'pronounced shortage' of geophysical survey resourcing and capacity in Ireland, which can delay projects. They also cited various Government policy objectives which they said necessitated the fast deployment of renewable energy projects. The council decision can be appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Wexford County Council opts to approve new Courtown hotel despite breaches of local area plan
In instances such as this, the decision to grant or refuse planning permission lies with the elected members. And at the July meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), the decision to allow the development to go ahead, despite it being in breach of the Courtown and Riverchapel Local Area Plan (LAP), was approved by local councillors. The proposed development, by Bayview Limited, is for the construction of a 136-bedroom, six-storey hotel, on lands currently used as car parking at the edge of Courtown village. The existing coast access road, pedestrian bridge, and the landscaping to the watercourse to the east of the site would remain unaffected by the development. Outlining the reasons and considerations behind its decision to grant planning permission, WCC stated, 'The proposed development would provide much-needed accommodation in the area and bring longer stay visitors to the village that would benefit the local economy and bring new employment opportunities.' A consultation period took place between June 4 and July 1 which allowed members of the public to have their say on the proposed development. A number of submissions were made regarding the construction of a hotel in Courtown, some of which expressed concerns about how it will affect the local community. BPS Planning and Development Consultants, on behalf of the Harbour Court Residents Association, stated, "The argument that a development would have economic benefits is not one we consider normally to be used by planning authorities to overrule significant scale, massing, design, and zoning concerns. The LAP's open space and amenity (OSA) zoning cannot be viewed in isolation from the range of planning policies, aims, and objections set out in the LAP and the County Development Plan (CDP).' "The focus has clearly been on the purported economic benefits of a hotel without adequate due consideration of the benefits to the community. The guidelines confirm that the 'material contravention procedure' is intended as a mechanism to deal with specific non-conforming planning applications. These are, by definition, proposed developments which the applicant knew at the time of making the planning application was not permitted in principle or open for consideration. "It is meant to be an exceptional procedure for cases which, one would expect, are supported by the same public who voted for the elected members who adopted the LAP.' Previously, a further 32 submissions were made by members of the public, concerned residents, and local organisations. Recommending that councillors approve planning permission for the hotel, chief executive of WCC, Eddie Taaffe stated, 'No modifications of the proposed material contravention of the Courtown and Riverchapel LAP are recommended at this time on foot of the submissions received. In accordance with Section 34 (6) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, it is recommended that planning permission for the development of a 136-bedroom, six-storey hotel be considered by the members for approval as a material contravention of the LAP. "I therefore recommend that the members agree to pass a resolution approving the proposal to grant permission subject to standard conditions.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
24-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Social housing scheme for Wexford remains at standstill 18 months on – ‘It's not being built, there aren't even plans available'
In November 2023 then Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien revealed that the Bunclody development was to be 'bundled' with five other schemes in Dublin, Limerick, and Galway. Due to deliver 642 houses across six sites, the project remains in the pre-procurement phase as of July 2025 and, at the monthly meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), Councillor Barbara Anne Murphy asked why it had not proceeded any further. 'That residential zoned land isn't being developed despite there being a huge need for houses in Bunclody and a huge need for people to buy their own homes,' she said following a presentation on Wexford's County Development Plan. Critical of that plan and the suggestion Wexford was meeting its housing targets across the county, Cllr Murphy said the situation in Bunclody was not unique. 'There are plans to build 65 houses on Hospital Hill, but we have had those plans for I don't know how long. If this is happening in other places too, then our County Development Plan (CDP) isn't working. If you live in Bunclody you can't just buy a site and build on it, you won't get planning permission to build in a rural area (under the CDP),. "You can't build in rural areas and you can't buy or rent a house in Bunclody itself, so it's clear to me the CDP isn't working, it's certainly not working for Bunclody.' In response, senior planner Diarmuid Heuston said there were 'obstacles' to overcome when it came to delivering new builds in the county's villages. 'There are proposals in place (for new developments), we have to work our way through them, but there are a lot of obstacles we have to overcome,' he said. 'We do have wastewater capacity in the villages, and they are very important in terms of delivering housing, but there are delays in some of those villages. We need the developers to come forward. "But we will keep an eye on how things are going there and continue to have discussions with you on it.' He was supported by chief executive Eddie Taaffe who said the council was focusing on finding developers to build on the sites which had already been earmarked for housing. 'The issue in Bunclody is the sites which have been zoned have not been developed yet,' he said. 'The solution isn't to zone more land, it's to gain an understanding as to why those sites aren't being brought forward by the people who own them or not being sold to developers.' Accepting that, in terms of its overall figures, Co Wexford was meeting the targets set out under the government's Housing For All plan, Cllr Murphy said those targets were primarily being met in the county's urban areas. 'We're not meeting the need throughout the county, and Bunclody is an example of that. We can talk about how we're going to work with developers, land owners and so on, but how long is that going to take? We have a housing crisis right now. We have land in the ownership of the state which is not being built on, there's not even plans available. "Imagine how frustrated people who have earned enough to get a mortgage but can't buy or build in their own area are.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Planning refusal for Kerry leisure park a ‘sucker blow' to rural region
TD Michael Cahill (FF) said the proposal for the holiday complex was of major importance to the region and 'would have a major long term impact on employment for all of this neglected area of rural Ireland, for generations to come,' he said. 'This is the 'sucker punch' that local residents and the South Kerry diaspora, scattered throughout the world, did not deserve. It appears to be the same old story, remote, rural areas of our country are being dealt decisions by officialdom, which will negatively impact on the sustainability of the local economy forever more,' stated the Kerry TD. The plans for 'Rinn Rua' holiday Park, revealed in 2023, include the demolition of the famous Reeroe hotel which has been derelict for over 30 years to develop a large scale holiday park west of Reenroe beach. The proposal included holiday lodges, mobile homes, touring campervans, tent/caravan pitches, glamping pods and hobbit huts and all associated services. Planning was also sought for a leisure complex with swimming pool, play areas and a surf shop. Kerry County Council gave four reasons for the refusal including that such a development would contravene the County Development Plan objective as this area is deemed 'visually sensitive'. Another reason was that the local authority said it was not satisfied that it would not cause pollution of groundwater. In light of the decision Mr Cahill, the FF spokesperson on Tourism, said planning restrictions in rural Ireland must be judged by different criteria other than that used for urban settings to help regenerate rural areas. 'With the progression of the South Kerry Greenway project, we were beginning to believe that, at last the pendulum was swinging in our direction. Decisions like this knock the stuffing out of you. Anything that can attract visitors to remote areas, must be encouraged, as the revenue they generate can help to create an employment ripple effect, that allows young people to remain on, and emigrants to return to available livelihoods,' he said. 'Planners need to take into account the bigger picture in rural areas, such as the Iveragh Peninsula. Places that have been neglected for generations like South Kerry, now need to be nurtured and returned to financial health, so that they can sustain viable businesses and jobs,' he said.
