Offaly County Council grants permission for 1.5-hectare solar farm at Portarlington, Co. Offaly

In context

It is one of 28 solar farm applications Offaly 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 11 June 2025. 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.

The development will consist of the creation and use of a temporary vehicular access onto the public carriageway at Kilmalogue Park for use for the construction of a permitted 10KV single storey substation and its associated operational access track both previously permitted under Planning Ref. No. 17/275 as revised by Planning Ref. 23/196 as part of a solar farm development. The proposed development will comprise the temporary removal of a section of an existing boundary wall (c. 5.4m) at Kilmalogue Park, the provision of a temporary construction track, ancillary development works, full reinstatement of the wall upon completion of the construction of the permitted substation and an increase in the area of permanent gravel track around the substation. The development will be used for the construction of the permitted substation in lieu of a previously permitted construction access track permitted under Planning Ref. No. 17/275 for the construction of the substation.