€70m wind farm gets go-ahead from council
Planning permission for the development has been granted to ESB subsidiary Hibernian Wind Power Ltd, but the number of turbines has been reduced from 28 to 24. A site has been obtained in an elevated area at Grousemount, Kilgarvan, and the turbines will be up to 70 metres high with blades of 40 metres.
An Taisce objected to the planning application, expressing concern about the impact of such a large wind farm on the mountainous area and the decision may yet be appealed to An Bord Pleanála. A council spokesperson said that Grousement was an area “open to consideration” for wind farms.
Hibernian Wind Power is already involved in the controversial wind farm development at Derrybrien, Co Galway, and has been blamed for causing a bogslide through construction work on the site.
Hibernian, which lodged the planning application last October after holding consultations with people in the Kilgarvan area, said it wants to work with the local community.
In a submission to the council, Catherine McMullin of An Taisce said the development would take place on bogland and suggested that disturbances during construction could lead to landslides. She also said the wind farm would be sited at the headwaters of an important angling river, the Roughty.
“It will be constructed on both sides of the river, which will require it to be bridged, and it is obvious a considerable amount of disturbance will have to take place in the vicinity,” she said.
Mc McMullin disputed claims that Grousement was not a significant tourist area in its own right and that the development could act as a tourist attraction.
“We disagree with this assessment. The road from Morley’s Bridge to the Coom is one of the undiscovered scenic beauties of the county,” she said.
“As the ‘honey-pot’ tourist areas become more crowded, visitors will seek out the unspoilt areas such as the Coom. It is for this reason that An Taisce has already objected to a number of small wind farms, closer to the public road, near the top of the Coom.” She said an environmental impact study had shown that five of the proposed turbines would have a very significant negative visual impact.
“If these turbines were removed from the plan it would make the development much more acceptable,” she said. The company, however, said the development would have almost no visual impact.
“This is like a saucer-shaped area. The turbines will be kept off the ridges and will not be visible from roads, or houses, in 90% of the area,” a spokesman added.
Hibernian described the Kerry area as a high quality location for wind power.
