Wicklow County Council grants permission for 203.5-hectare solar farm at Kilcandra, Kilnamanagh Beg Ballynagran, Co. Wicklow

In context

It is one of 10 solar farm applications Wicklow County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 337 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 19 December 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

RED III Category 3 Development - Construction of a solar PV energy development with an operational life of 40 years on three land parcels totalling approximately 203.5 hectares comprising the installation of approximately 806,630 sq. m. of photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames and associated ancillary development including: 23 no. transformers stations, 2 no. Ring Main Unit buildings, string-inverters attached to panel frames, CCTV security cameras mounted on 4 metre high poles, deer-proof perimeter security fencing (2 metres high) raised 150mm to allow for the movement of small mammals, 3 no. site entrances utilising existing entrances including upgrade to entrance on L1111 to facilitate construction and operational phase access, internal access tracks between the solar arrays and the site entrances, 2 no. clear span bridges over existing watercourses, 1 no. primary temporary construction compound and 2 no. satellite temporary construction compounds, all associated ancillary development works including landscaping; and the installation of a total of ca. 6.1 kilometres of 33Kv double circuit underground cable, of which ca. 2.4 kilometres will be beneath public (L1111, L1113, L5113, L51132 and L5112) and private roads in an excavated trench including underground ducting and joint bays and all associated site development and reinstatement works to connect the proposed Ring Main Units on two of the land parcels of the solar PV energy development and extending to the site of a proposed 110kv substation to be the subject of a separate planning permission under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006.