Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, has raised concerns over a planned €100 million solar farm that is to span 318 acres of farmland 4km from Naas in Co Kildare.
The Dunstown solar farm plan by the Portlaoise-based EEL Mullacash Solar Ltd is to be constructed across 30 fields of agricultural land and is currently used for pastoral farming.
The solar farm is to produce 105MW of renewable power, and a planning statement lodged with the application states that the proposed development “will generate a range of economic benefits both in terms of its construction and operation, generating jobs for installation, maintenance and its eventual remediation”.
However, Kildare Co Council has received more than 50 objections, mainly from locals concerned over the impact of the solar farm and two others solar farms for the area that have already secured planning permission.
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In his submission, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl has told the council that “the concerns of local residents and stud-farm owners are not without significant justification”.
The Fianna Fáil Kildare South TD said: “To concentrate three large solar farms in one small geographical location and on top class agricultural land seems to me to be an initiative that is hard, if not impossible, to justify.”
The Punchestown Area Community Group claim that the solar farm will comprise of a further 200,000 solar panels on semi-natural grassland and will be located only 300m from the Gowran Grange Swordlestown solar farm.
The community group state that the total number of solar panels from the three solar farms is 800,000.
The submission states that “the members of our group are very concerned at the over-concentration of planned solar farms in our area”.
The group state the three combined solar farms “would be a large sprawling solar farm on the doorstep of Punchestown. This could seriously detract from the jewel in the crown of our area, which is Punchestown racecourse”.
The group state that its members feel that, no matter what the applicants say, “what is clear is that our beautiful local landscape will be irrevocably altered and transformed from a rural landscape into an industrialised solar energy landscape”.
A planning statement lodged with the EEL Mullacash Solar Ltd application states that the overall design of the proposed development has carefully considered its setting within the confines of Co Kildare “to ensure the potential effects upon landscape and visual receptors are limited”
A decision is due by Kildare Co Council later this month.
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