Meath County Council grants permission for 7.7-hectare solar farm at Ashbourne, Co. Meath

In context

It is one of 17 solar farm applications Meath County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 335 nationally. Of the 573 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 9 May 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

the items which Planning Retention apply are as follows: I. Alterations to Unit 12E: 1. Ground Floor: Change of use of 4m2 of warehouse floor area to office floor area, 5rn2 of warehouse area to staff facilities & 60m2 of warehouse area to ESB Substation floor area due to relocating a standalone substation into Unit 12E. 2. First Floor: Internal layout adjustments resulting in an overall reduction of 3rn2 of office area & reduction of 11 m2 of staff facilities area. 3. Second Floor: Change of use of 10m2 of staff facilities area to office area. 4. Elevational adjustments with no associated area change. 5. Addition of 3,891sqm of Solar PV Panels. II. Alterations to Unit 12F: 1. Addition of internal two storey steel mezzanine (2,112m2 total area). 2. Minor Elevational adjustments with no associated area change. 3. Addition of 170sqm of Solar PV Panels. III. Site Plan alterations: 1. Addition of an electric sliding gate & pedestrian gate at the main access to the development and associated extension of existing fence. 2. Addition of 1.5m high paladin fence to protect existing open water course and associated landscape alterations.3. Previously proposed fence and gate removed at HGV /car access at entrance of shared yard between units 12E & 12F removed and provision of additional carpark spaces in part of HGV Yard of Unit 12E. 4. Sprinkler tank & pumphouse relocated to South-West corner of the site and proposed adjacent fence extended to secure the full cul de sac turnabout. 5. ESB Substation relocated to the internal North-West comer of Unit 12E as per item 1.1 above. 6. Proposed fence at northern site boundary relocated from proposed location at centreline of existing hedgerow to facilitate retention of the existing hedgerow & 75m of previously proposed surface water culvert now constructed as open ditch upstream of remaining culvert as per granted planning permission. Carpark at Unit 12F rearranged due to this open ditch/culvert adjustment. 7. Associated site works and landscape adjustments. Note: All other details remain as per the granted applications Reg. Ref. 21/2042 & 22/1125.