Donegal County Council grants permission for 3.8-hectare solar farm at ILLIES, LIFFORD PO, Co. Donegal

In context

It is one of 8 solar farm applications Donegal County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 349 nationally. Of the 562 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 22 October 2026. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOR UPGRADES TO THE EXISTING ILLIES WATER TREATMENT PLANT CONSISTING OF: (1) NEW DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION BUILDING TO BE CONSTRUCTED ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION BUILDING, HOUSING A FOURTH DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION STREAM OF SIMILAR HEIGHT BUT WITH A SMALLER FOOTPRINT THAN THE EXISTING DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION BUILDING, (2) TWO NEW FIRST STAGE RAPID GRAVITY FILTERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED AS AN EXTENSION TO THE EXISTING SIX RAPID GRAVITY FILTERS, (3) UPGRADE OF THE EXISTING SECOND STAGE RAPID GRAVITY FILTERS TO DUAL-MEDIA CONFIGURATION, INCLUDING MODIFICATIONS TO WEIRS, UNDERDRAINS, AND AIR SYSTEMS, (4) NEW SLUDGE CONCENTRATOR TANK (258M³) TO BE INSTALLED ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING SLUDGE CONCENTRATORS, (5) UPGRADE OF THE EXISTING SLUDGE DEWATERING SYSTEM, INCLUDING PROVISION OF A HIGH-CAPACITY FILTER PRESS, AUTOMATED CONVEYOR SYSTEM, AND A COVERED TRAILER LOADING BAY, (6) DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING WORKSHOP, AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW WORKSHOP AT AN ALTERNATE LOCATION WITHIN THE SITE, (7) NEW EXTERNAL ALUMINIUM SULPHATE (ALUM) BULK STORAGE, COMPRISING TWO 86M³ BUNDED TANKS, (8) MODIFICATION OF THE EXISTING ALUM STORAGE BUILDING TO HOUSE A NEW SODA ASH SILO. BUILDING HEIGHT WILL BE INCREASED TO MATCH THE EXISTING ADJACENT STRUCTURE HOUSING SODA ASH SILOS, (9) INTERNAL MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING BUILDINGS (I.E., REMOVAL OF WALL) TO ACCOMMODATE NEW AND UPGRADED SYSTEMS, INCLUDING DOSING ARRANGEMENTS, BACKWASH PUMPS, AND AIR BLOWERS, (10) ELECTRICAL, INSTRUMENTATION, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION SYSTEM UPGRADES, INCLUDING A NEW SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM, NEW PANELS, AND INPUT AND OUTPUT SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, (11) SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS TO BE INSTALLED ON ROOF AREAS TO SUPPORT ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS, (12) IMPROVEMENT OF INTERNAL ROAD LAYOUT AND ACCESS ROUTES TO FACILITATE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND SITE DELIVERIES, (13) NEW FENCING AND GATES TO BE INSTALLED WHERE REQUIRED (MAXIMUM HEIGHT 2.4M), (14) LANDSCAPING, SCREENING, PLANTING AND BIODIVERSITY IMPROVEMENT MEASURES AND (15) ALL ANCILLARY SITE DEVELOPMENT WORKS