Panda Power suffers setback to solar energy farm plans 

Panda Power plans to develop a solar farm on a 8.5 hectare site near Slane, Co Meath.

Energy utility Panda Power has suffered a setback to its plans to develop a large solar farm at a site where its parent company was established 30 years ago.

The company, which is part of the Beauparc utility group founded by entrepreneur Eamon Waters, has failed in its efforts to overturn the decision of Meath County Council to refuse planning permission for a 3 megawatt solar farm on an 8.5 hectare site in Newtown, Beauparc – around 4km outside Slane, Co Meath.

An Bord Pleanála rejected the company’s appeal against the council’s ruling, stating it could not be satisfied that the development would not be likely to have a significant effect on protected EU habitats of fens and forests as well as otter, kingfishers, Atlantic salmon and lamprey in the area of the River Boyne and River Blackwater located around 3km away.

An inspector with An Bord Pleanála said the River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Protection Area was of “high ornithological importance” because of the kingfisher but no appropriate assessment, which was required, had been provided by the company.

The inspector noted the site of the solar farm was “hydrologically connected” to the protected habitat because of the drainage of the area and concluded there was the potential for the water quality of drains and streams to be affected during construction work on the project.

“The possibility of impact on the River Boyne and River Blackwater SPA must be considered,” the inspector said.

The board said the information provided by Panda Power was also not sufficient to convince it that the proposed solar farm would not seriously injure the visual and residential amenities of neighbouring properties and not have a significant effect on the ecology, biodiversity and landscape of the area.

In addition, the board said it could not be satisfied that the glint and glare impact of the solar farm, as well as the proposed site entrance for construction traffic, would not pose a traffic hazard on the N2 Dublin-Derry road.

Panda Power had argued that the solar farm would require little maintenance and thereby would not generate much additional traffic on the N2.

A planning inspector acknowledged that the company’s plans for a solar farm complied with national and regional planning and environmental policy which supports a move to a low carbon future and encourages the use of renewable resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The inspector said Panda Power’s solar farm would have contributed to the national targets set for Ireland of 40% of the country’s electricity coming from renewable resources by 2020 as part of its mandatory obligation under the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

The company secured planning permission for another solar farm on the opposite site of the N2 at Beauparc last year following a successful appeal to An Bord Pleanála after the plans were originally rejected by the council.