Council vote paves way for €85m power plant

Members of Clare County Council have paved the way for a contentious €85m combined heat and power plant for Shannon.

This follows councillors voting 17 to 12 in favour to zone 80 acres of agricultural land for green industry at Stonewall north of the Shannon Free Zone as part of the new Shannon Local Area Plan.

The councillors voted in favour of the zoning despite widespread opposition from Stonehall residents.

Last night, Senator Tony Mulcahy (FG) said that plans by Carbon Sole Industries for the 70MW plant were “well advanced” and that Eirgrid had deemed the firm’s application for a grid-connection to the proposed plant to be complete.

He said the proposal would help to create and sustain hundreds of jobs.

Stonehall residents had voiced concerns over the height and scale of building; noise pollution; health implications; and safety issues in relation to traffic on the local school road.

However, at the meeting, the council’s senior planner, Gordon Daly, said that if the zoning did not go ahead, it would be a missed opportunity for Clare.

The vote means Carnon Sole Industries can now lodge a planning application on the zoned lands.