8.9-hectare solar farm proposed at RAPHOE LIFFORD PO, Co. Donegal

In context

It is one of 7 solar farm applications Donegal County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 337 nationally. Of the 573 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 92% were granted.

What happens next

The five-week window for public submissions has closed. The council normally decides within eight weeks of the application being lodged, unless it requests further information, which stops the clock.

The development description, as lodged

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

(1) CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW 2,240M2 TWO-STOREY SCHOOL BUILDING, CONTAINING: SPECIALIST TEACHING ROOMS FOR SCIENCE, CONSTRUCTION STUDIES, ENGINEERING, ART, AND HOME ECONOMICS; PHYSICAL EDUCATION FACILITIES INCLUDING A PE HALL, FITNESS SUITE, AND CHANGING SUITES; TOILETS, STORES, AND PLANT ROOMS; 2 NO. SPECIAL NEEDS CLASSROOMS AND ASSOCIATED SUPPORT ACCOMMODATION, INCLUDING MULTI-ACTIVITY, PRACTICAL ACTIVITY, AND DAILY LIVING SKILLS, (2) A ROOF MOUNTED PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL SYSTEM FOR COMPLIANCE WITH PART L OF THE BUILDING REGULATIONS, (3) ALL ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT WORKS INCLUDING NEW LANDSCAPING, SECURE PLAY AREA AND SENSORY GARDEN FOR SPECIAL NEEDS, EXTERNAL STEPS TO EXISTING TECHNOLOGY HUB, RELOCATION OF BALL COURTS, INTERCONNECTING PATHWAYS AND ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS, (4) DEMOLITION AND REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING PE HALL AND TWO INDEPENDENT TEMPORARY CLASSROOM UNITS AND (5) MINOR ALTERATIONS TO THE EXISTING 3-STOREY PERMANENT SCHOOL BUILDING INCLUDING THE INTERNAL CONVERSION OF TWO EXISTING SCIENCE LABORATORIES TO GENERAL CLASSROOMS. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) ACCOMPANIES THIS APPLICATION