Claim landowners to benefit from wind farm

UP TO 80 landowners in west Clare are to receive a regular income from a proposed new €200 million wind farm.

The claim came from Clare Coastal Wind Power Ltd which is to shortly lodge plans with An Bord Pleanála for a 45-turbine wind farm at Shragh and Doonbeg.

The application is the largest ever lodged for a wind farm in the Mid-west.

The developers of the 138MW wind farm which will have the capacity to provide energy to 72,450 homes are to by-pass Clare Co Council after an Bord Pleanála ruled the application met the criteria for a strategic infrastructure development (SID) case and the case will be dealt with by the appeals board.

Now, in fresh documents released by the appeals board after making its ruling on accepting the application as an SID, the developers state that the wind-farm will avoid the discharge of 207,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

The developers concede it may be five to eight years before the wind farm secures a grid connection from Eirgrid.

In the minutes of a meeting between the appeals board and the developers, the applicants explained that was why the company was seeking a 10-year planning permission.

The developers do not state how much each landowner will receive.

Already, the company has held an information meeting in Doonbeg village where 120-150 people attended, while meetings have also taken place with local groups.

Pointing up issues of concern, consultants for Clare Coastal Wind Power Ltd stated the site is potentially in close proximity to a direct flight path for feeding and roosting sites of Whooper Swans, Hen Harriers and White Fronted Geese, all of which are protected under the EU Birds Directive.