Green light for massive South Roscommon windfarm

Seventeen 180-metre high wind turbines are to be erected across South Roscommon, after a major windfarm project has been given the planning go-ahead.

The application for the Seven Hills Windfarm, submitted by Energia Renewables ROI Ltd, has been approved by An Bord Pleanála, subject to 26 conditions.

The €100m windfarm is earmarked for land mainly in the townlands of Skyvalley and Cronin between Taughmaconnell, Dysart, Brideswell and Curraghboy.

The application for planning permission was submitted directly to the planning board in June 2022 and only approved late last month.

It's the latest in a long-running saga surrounding proposals for a windfarm in the area. An earlier bid for a similar project, was steadfastly opposed by local residents, who succeeded with a judicial review in the High Court in 2014, to quash a previous An Bord Pleanála approval. The project was then resubmitted to the board, which, in 2017, refused permission.

Energia Renewables ROI Ltd, in its new application last year, sought permission for 20 wind turbines with an overall ground to blade tip height of 180 metres, based on a rotor diameter of 162 metres and a hub height of 99 metres.

They are earmarked for an area of approximately 588 hectares of land in total, divided by the main R363 road into two wind turbine clusters, in the Dysart and Taughmaconnell areas.

The application is a joint venture proposal between Energia Renewables ROI Ltd, a subsidiary of Energia Group, and Galetech Energy Developments Ltd.

However, in its decision, An Bord Pleanála reduced the number of approved turbines to 17, ordering the omission of three turbines earmarked for the Killeglan Karst Landscape, which it said is a county geological site of national importance.

There were a large number of submissions to the board during its adjudication, including from eleven local organisations and residents, as well as from Roscommon County Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Geological Survey of Ireland.

The local submissions cited, amongst other issues, concerns over the scale of the development, including the turbine heights, the adverse impact on European protected nature sites and habitats, the adverse impact on biodiversity, habitats, species and karst landscape and the impact on geology and hydrology.

Residents also cited fears over the adverse impact on visual amenity, residential amenity, and the high vulnerability of local groundwater sources.

Concerns over the possible exacerbation of flooding at Lough Funshinagh and with other flood risks were also raised.

The submissions also highlighted that proposals for a windfarm in the area, had already been subject to successful judicial review and been subsequently refused permission by An Bord Pleanála.

In its ruling, the planning board said, subject to the conditions imposed, it considered the project would accord with European, national, regional and local planning and renewable energy policies and would “not have an unacceptable impact on the landscape or the ecology” and “would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.

The development is to be constructed within ten years and the permission is for 30 years from the date of commissioning.

The developer is also ordered to implement mitigation measures to lessen the potential for bat fatalities from collisions with rotating turbine blades.

These measures are to include “feathering or pitching the blades out of the wind” and “curtailment between mid-April to mid-October, between sunset and sunrise at certain windspeeds and temperatures”.

Details of these curtailments measures are to be developed following consultation with the planning authority.

Measures to lessen the potential for impacts on badgers arising from the excavation and constructions works are also outlinecd, including a 30 metre cordon around any badger sett entrances.

Measures to lessen the potential for adverse impacts on the Castlesampson Esker are also outlined.

Construction work is also limited to the hours of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding Bank Holidays.

Among the townlands earmarked for the project include Turrock, Cronin, Gortaphuill, Glenrevagh, Tullyneeny, Bredagh, Cuilleenirwan, Cuilleenoolagh, Curry, Milltown, Tobermacloughlin, Skeavally, Boleyduff, Clooncaltry, Feacle, Cam, Tawnagh, Cornageeha, Pollalaher, Brideswell, Knocknanool, Ballymullavill, Rooskagh, Bellanamullia, Cloonakille, Monksland and Commeen.

In a statement, Energia Group and Galetech Energy Developments said they would now review the decision to inform the next steps in the development process.

“The application was submitted following extensive site surveys and investigations, together with ongoing engagement with the local community and stakeholders. This engagement will continue as the project progresses through the pre-construction, construction, and operational stages of development.

In a joint statement on the decision, Robert Scott, Energia Renewables and Stephen Drury from Galetech Energy Developments, stated: “We welcome this decision which is a significant milestone in the overall development of the Seven Hills project, and which will support Ireland’s ongoing national and local climate action objectives. As per our activities to date, we will continue to engage with the local community and all stakeholders as the project progresses.”