Plans to develop an eight-turbine 1,500 kilowatt wind farm at Monmore South, Kilrush, Co Clare, have been turned down by An Bord Pleanala following strong local opposition.
Upholding a decision by Clare County Council to refuse planning permission to the proposal by a German-based company, Pro Ventum Ltd, the board ruled that the development would be "contrary to the proper planning and development of the area".
The board stated: "Having regard to the proximity of the proposed development to existing houses and to the scale, disposition and height of the proposed turbines, it is considered by reason of visual intrusion and noise, the planned development would seriously injure the amenities and depreciate the value of houses in the vicinity."
It is the third consecutive refusal of a proposed wind farm development in Co Clare. Previous applications in the Scarriff and Doonbeg areas were turned down by the local authority and the appeals board.
Pro Ventum proposed constructing eight turbines, comprising cylindrical towers with 24 blades, each measuring 66 metres in diameter. It intended to build eight transformer stations.
The board's decision was yesterday welcomed by the Monmore Action Group, which is also opposing an application by the ESB to construct an 18-turbine wind farm in the same area. The chairman, Mr Frank Lillis, said yesterday: "We are delighted with the decision. Now, we hope that Clare County Council will refuse the ESB's plan for the same area."
The chairman of Kilrush Urban District Council, Cllr Tom Prendeville, said: "It is a victory for common sense. The development would have represented a gross intrusion on the landscape. It is a great victory for a small community, but we would be at pains to point that we are not against wind energy. It is quite obvious after this decision and a previous decision refusing planning for a wind farm at Doonbeg that the topography of west Clare is not suited to wind farm developments.
"Such projects are more suited to upland and offshore locations and a comprehensive national landscape policy should be drawn up by the Government to offer guidelines on the issue, pinpointing suitable sites for wind farms."
Mr Prendeville called on the ESB to withdraw its application for a wind farm at Monmore following the board's ruling that the Pro Ventum proposal for the same area would be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.
He claimed the proposals were purely commercial, with no benefit accruing to the local community. The ESB has yet to respond to a request by the council for further information on its application, made on June 5th, 1998.
