4-hectare solar farm proposed at CAUSEWAY ROAD, BALLYMACARRY, 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.

(I) CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PERMANENT PART 3-STOREY, PART 2-STOREY POST PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR CRANA COLLEGE AND COLÁISTE EOGHAIN (13,497SQ.M GROSS FLOOR AREA) WITH ASSOCIATED EXTERNAL SIGNAGE. THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF THE NEW POST PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPRISE OF (A) 31 NO. GENERAL CLASSROOMS, 24 NO. SPECIALIST CLASSROOMS, 4 NO. SPECIAL NEEDS CLASSROOMS WITHIN A SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUITE, MP HALL AND ASSOCIATED PE ANCILLARY ACCOMMODATION, STAFFROOM, DOUBLE HEIGHT LIBRARY, ADMINISTRATION ROOMS, TOILETS, STORES, GENERAL ANCILLARY ACCOMMODATION AND A DOUBLE HEIGHT GENERAL PURPOSE ROOM WITH ASSOCIATED KITCHENS AND STORES, (II) CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PART 2-STOREY, PART SINGLE STOREY PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR GAELSCOIL BHUN CRANNCHA (2,459SQ.M GROSS FLOOR AREA) WITH ASSOCIATED EXTERNAL SIGNAGE. THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF THE NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPRISE; (A) 8 NO. GENERAL CLASSROOMS, 2 NO. SPECIAL NEEDS CLASSROOMS WITHIN A SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUITE, GP HALL, STAFFROOM, LIBRARY, ADMINISTRATION ROOMS, TOILETS, STORES AND GENERAL ANCILLARY ACCOMMODATION, (III) EXTERNAL COVERED AREA WITH EXTERNAL CONSTRUCTION STUDIES STORE AND BIN STORE (123SQ.M GROSS FLOOR AREA) FOR THE POST PRIMARY SCHOOL, AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP COMPOUNDS, LPG GAS COMPOUNDS AND AN ESB SUBSTATION (34SQ.M GROSS FLOOR AREA), (IV) SITE DEVELOPMENT WORKS INCLUDING NEW VEHICULAR/PEDESTRIAN & CYCLE INGRESS FROM CAUSEWAY ROAD AND EGRESS ONTO TAOBH AN TSRUTHAN, (V) CARPARKING AND SET-DOWN SPACES FOR THE POST PRIMARY SCHOOL INCLUDING 75 NO. STANDARD CAR PARKING SPACES FOR STAFF/VISITORS AND 5 NO. UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES WITH CYCLE PARKING FOR 140 NO. BICYCLES, (VI) CARPARKING AND SET-DOWN SPACES FOR THE PRIMARY SCHOOL, INCLUDING 18 NO. STANDARD CAR PARKING SPACES FOR STAFF/VISITORS AND 3 NO. UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES WITH CYCLE PARKING FOR 25 NO. BICYCLES, (VII) 5 NO. HARD PLAY/MUGA COURTS FOR THE POST PRIMARY SCHOOL AND 1 HARD COURT FOR THE PRIMARY SCHOOL, (VIII) ROOF MOUNTED PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS AND WATER TANK STORAGE FOR BOTH SCHOOLS, (IX) THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ALSO INCLUDES HARD & SOFT LANDSCAPING, GRASSED PLAY SPACE, OUTER ACTIVITY COURTYARDS, RESOURCE AREAS, SEN GARDEN/PLAY SPACES AND ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE