Kilkenny County Council grants permission for 103.6-hectare solar farm at Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny

In context

It is one of 13 solar farm applications Kilkenny County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 349 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 13 October 2023. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues. The applicant sought a 10-year permission, which sets how long they have to start the development.

The development description, as lodged

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

A 10 year planning permission - The development will consist of permission for a Solar PV Energy Development with associated Battery Storage Compound with a total site area of c.103.64ha, to include solar panels mounted on steel support structures, associated cabling and ducting, inverters, transformers, switchgear substations, auxiliary transformer, permanent storage container, monitoring houses, composting toilet, BESS customer substation, battery blocks, BESS inverters, BESS interface cabinets, BESS MV skids, temporary construction compounds, tracks, boundary security fencing and security gates, CCTV, landscaping and ancillary works, with a 40year operational period. It is proposed that the Proposed Development will be accessed from three separate access points off; Site Access 1 will be a newly created access point of the L4205 and Site Access 2 and 3 will utilise two existing access points of an unnamed local road which runs along the northern boundary of the Application Site, both Site Access 2 and 3 will require upgrading. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been submitted to the Planning Authority with the Application