Westmeath County Council grants permission for 3.3-hectare solar farm at Moate Community School, Church Street, Co. Westmeath

In context

It is one of 7 solar farm applications Westmeath County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 351 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 1 February 2024. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

demolition of St. Philip’s single storey school building (c.3621 sq.m), St. Bridget’s technology block part single-storey part two-storey school building (c. 683 sq.m), St. Malachy’s classroom building (c. 166 sq.m), a 2 no. classroom teaching block (c.132 sq.m), 2 no outbuildings (c.70 sqm), changing room building (c. 72 sq.m) and ESB substation; removal of 10 no. prefabricated buildings; refurbishment of St. Joseph’s building to provide a Special Education Needs (SEN) unit on the ground floor and general classrooms at first floor level; construction of a two and three-storey school building extension (c. 9600 sq.m) to provide general and specialist classrooms, a general purpose hall, PE Hall, offices, staff room, library, social spaces, sanitary facilities and ancillary spaces, including solar photovoltaic panels at roof level; provision of 3 no. MUGA courts, landscaped gardens and other social spaces; demolition of part of the existing boundary wall to Church Street and provision of a new set-back boundary wall to create a new plaza area and improved pedestrian/cyclist entrance; widening of the existing vehicular entrance off Church Street; provision of a car and bus set down area for 7 no buses on Church St; relocation of the accessible car space on Church Street; removal of 22 no. existing car spaces and the provision of 54 no. car parking spaces, to include 2 no. accessible parking spaces and 6 no. electric vehicle charging spaces; provision of 100 no. bicycle parking spaces to include 50 no sheltered spaces; relocation of the existing post box, a protected structure (RPS No. 030-013), from the pillar of the existing vehicular entrance to the new set-back front boundary wall; maintenance repairs and re-painting of the gazebo, a protected structure (RPS No. 030-014), together with the replacement of the existing (pink-coloured) fibre cement slates with natural slates; provision of landscaping, boundary treatments, and site lighting; provision of heat pump and gas storage areas, and construction stores (c. 66 sq.m); provision of associated drainage, attenuation and other site services including an ESB substation and switch room (c. 21 sq.m); provision of temporary classrooms and other facilities to allow for phased construction, to be removed prior to completion of the proposed works; and all related site development works