Offaly County Council grants permission for 142.3-hectare solar farm at FREAGH, 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 20 September 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 Offaly County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

10-YEAR PERMISSION AND 40 YEAR OPERATION FOR A SOLAR FARM ON 3 NO. LAND PARCELS AS DESCRIBED HEREIN: WEST PARCEL (DOVEHILL TOWNLAND) C.81.04 HECTARES, CENTRAL PARCEL (GORTNAMUCK & CURRAGHMORE (EGLISH BY) TOWNLANDS) C.42.2 HECTARES AND EAST PARCEL (GORTNAMUCK & FREAGH TOWNLANDS) C.16.07 HECTARES; A ROUTE CORRIDOR OF 3 HECTARES FOR AN UNDERGROUND INTERNAL ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTING THE WEST AND CENTRAL PARCELS TO THE EAST PARCEL CONSISTING OF C.3,956M UNDERGROUND CABLING WITHIN THE CORRIDOR OF THE L6042 'RATH ROAD' PUBLIC ROAD. THE TOTAL SITE AREA FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS C.142.31 HECTARES AND CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING; 834,632 SQ. METRES OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS ON GROUND MOUNTED STEEL FRAMES; INVERTER/TRANSFORMER STATIONS; UNDERGROUND POWER AND COMMUNICATION CABLES AND DUCTS; BOUNDARY SECURITY FENCING; 2 NO. MEDIUM VOLTAGE (MV) CONTROL BUILDINGS; NEW INTERNAL ACCESS TRACKS ASSOCIATED DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE; 3 NO. SITE ENTRANCES TO THE L6042 'RATH ROAD' PUBLIC ROAD; 40 NO. CCTV/ LIGHTING POSTS AND ALL ASSOCIATED SITE SERVICES AND WORKS. INSTALLATIONS OF INTERNAL NETWORK CABLE COMPRISE TRENCHING FOR AN UNDERGROUND MEDIUM VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL CABLE AND ASSOCIATED JOINT BAYS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 2,750 METRES IN LENGTH ALONG THE L6042 'RATH ROAD' PUBLIC ROAD AND APPROXIMATELY 1,206 METRES WITHIN THE SOLAR FARM LANDS. THE PROPOSED SOLAR FARM WILL BE BROKEN INTO 2 NO. SEPARATE PHASES. 'PHASE 1' WILL CONSIST OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOLAR PV ARRAYS LOCATED IN THE EAST PARCEL (C.16.07 HA), CENTRAL PARCEL (C.42.2 HA) AND THE WEST PARCEL (C.14.46 HA). 'PHASE 2' OF THE SOLAR FARM WILL CONSIST OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE SOLAR PV ARRAYS IN THE WEST PARCEL COVERING A SITE AREA OF C.66.58 HA. AS PART OF A SEPARATE STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (SID) PLANNING APPLICATION, PROVISION OF A 110KV ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION WITH ELECTRICAL CONTROL BUILDING, ASSOCIATED COMPOUND WITH PALISADE FENCE AND 2 NO. OVERHEAD LINE MASTS, WHICH IS TO BE LOCATED IN THE EAST PARCEL, WILL BE LODGED WITH AN BORD PLEANÁLA IN DUE COURSE