Galway County Council grants permission for 30.7-hectare solar farm at Newford, Athenry, Co. Galway

In context

It is one of 12 solar farm applications Galway County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 333 nationally. Of the 572 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 18 December 2024. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

for the amendments to planning permission reference 23/61035 which provides for a Medical Device Manufacturing Facility and all associated development. The proposed amendments to the permitted development are as follows: • Reduction in the floor area of the permitted medical device manufacturing facility to provide a building with a GIA of 29,588.5 m2 and associated amendments to building footprint and external envelope; • Reconfiguration of the Central Utilities Compound including reduction in the floor area of the MV building (Proposed GIA: 304.5 m2) and increase in the floor area of the Sprinkler Pumphouse (Proposed GIA: 151 m2); • Reduction of 21 no. car parking spaces in Car Park No. 2 to provide a total of 479 no. car parking spaces on the Campus; • Reconfiguration of the 102 no. EV car parking spaces throughout the car parking areas; • Amendment to the alignment of the internal HGV road; • Provision of bus lane on the main vehicular access road with associated amendments to landscaping and drainage; • Provision of 2 no. bus shelters to the east of Car Park 2; • Amendment to the extent of roof mounted solar PV panels and plant equipment on the roof of the manufacturing facility; • Amendment to surface water drainage infrastructure, including the Attenuation pond & SuDs Basin; • Amendment to the permitted access roads, landscaping, boundary treatments, internal pedestrian connectivity infrastructure, public lighting and all other site development works and services ancillary to the proposed amendments. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) is submitted to the planning authority with the planning application. Gross floor space of proposed works: 330,044 sqm