Offaly County Council grants permission for 39.2-hectare solar farm at TRASCAN AND CLONDOOLUSK, Co. Offaly

In context

It is one of 28 solar farm applications Offaly 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 18 October 2023. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

DEVELOPMENT OF A SOLAR FARM CONSISTING OF SOLAR PV PANELS MOUNTED ON STEEL SUPPORTED STRUCTURES WITH ASSOCIATED CABLING AND DUCTING; THE LAYING OF AN UNDERGROUND CABLE IN THE PUBLIC ROADWAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF GRID CONNECTION VIA AN OFF-SITE SUBSTATION; 18 NO. SINGLE STOREY INVERTER STATIONS; 2 NO. STEEL STORAGE CONTAINERS; PALISADE PERIMETER FENCING 2.45M IN HEIGHT; DOUBLE PALISADE SECURITY GATES; PERMEABLE GRAVEL ACCESS TRACK; 20 NO. ON-SITE POLE MOUNTED CCTV CAMERAS C. 3M IN HEIGHT; 1 NO. TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION COMPOUND/MATERIAL STORAGE AREA; AND 1 NO.TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION STAGE MOBY DICK TYPE WHEEL WASH SYSTEM (WITH OVERGROUND SETTLEMENT TANK); AND ALL ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND WORKS, ALL TO BE PROVIDED WITHIN A TOTAL OVERALL APPLICATION BOUNDARY OF 39.23 HA. PERMISSION IS SOUGHT FOR THE PROPOSED SOLAR FARM FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS WITH AN OPERATIONAL PERIOD OF 40 YEARS. AN APPLICATION TO OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASSOCIATED TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH CONSISTS OF A 110 KILOVOLT (KV) SUBSTATION AND GRID CONNECTION TO FACILITATE THE EXPORT OF POWER FROM THE SOLAR FARM WILL BE SUBMITTED TO AN BORD PLEANALA. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE PLANNING APPLICATION