Clare County Council grants permission for 36.7-hectare solar farm at Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare

In context

It is one of 9 solar farm applications Clare County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 335 nationally. Of the 573 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 92% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 30 June 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Clare County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

for development which will consist of planning permission for a period of 10 years to construct and complete a Solar Energy development with a total site area of 36.70 hectares, to include the construction of PV panels mounted on metal frames, a substation, inverter substations, internal access tracks (new and upgraded), underground cabling, security fencing with CCTV cameras and access gates, a temporary construction compound and all ancillary grid infrastructure and associated works. The Solar Farm would be operational for 40 years. The proposed grid route will connect the substation at the application site to the existing grid infrastructure at Ardnacrusha Power Station via a 38kV underground cable which is 1.2km in length (320m of which is on the local road L3056). A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) will be submitted with this application