Roscommon County Council grants permission for solar farm at Rathleg, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

In context

It is one of 9 solar farm applications Roscommon 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 27 September 2023. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

Planning permission for development consisting of the replacement of a permitted single storey terminal electrical station and separate permitted switchgear enclosure (both previously permitted as part of a solar farm permission by Roscommon County Council under Reg. Ref. PD/17/295) with 1 no. proposed single storey 20KV substation building on the site of the previously permitted terminal station. The development also includes ancillary revisions to the access track and security gate adjacent to the substation (as previously permitted under Reg. Ref. PD/17/295) comprising of a localised alteration to the alignment of the track and a slight repositioning of the gate at