Planning permission granted for 22,000 panel solar farm near Cobh

Planning permission has been granted for a large solar farm around 1.7km outside Cobh, despite the objections of some local residents.

An Bord Pleanála has upheld the decision of Cork County Council to approve the application by energy firm, Amarenco, for the development of a 5 megawatt solar farm together with two transformer stations plus a delivery station on a 12-hectare site at Ballynacrusha, Cobh.

The solar farm will consist of approximately 22,200 solar panels.

Subject to compliance with a number of planning conditions, the Board says the proposed solar farm would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area. It also claims the development would be acceptable in terms of landscape, archaeological and ecological impacts as well as traffic safety and convenience.

The Board limited the grant of planning permission to a period of 25 years, although it will be open to Amarenco to lodge a fresh application for retention of the solar farm at that stage.

It stipulated that security fencing around the site must be above 150mm above ground level to allow wildlife access through the site.

The council’s decision had been appealed by Cobh residents, Bryan Meredith and Edmund Mansworth.

Mr Meredith whose home adjoins the site of the proposed solar farm claimed the development would devalue his property, while a CCTV system would impact on his privacy and security fencing would have a negative visual impact. He expressed concern that the transformer stations would also cause noise nuisance.

Mr Mansworth objected on the basis that the site was earmarked for housing development as part of 185 hectares designated a strategic land reserve by Cork County Council. He claimed the solar farm was unacceptable because of its location on an elevated site which would have a negative impact on a sensitive landscape.

Mr Mansworth also expressed concern at how energy from the solar farm would be connected to the national grid: “This area already has an overburden of overhead lines."

Amarenco claimed its plans for a solar farm at Ballynacrusha are fully in accordance with the zoning, policies and objectives of the Cork County Development Plan: “The scheme has been carefully designed to protect the amenities of the area and privacy and amenities of adjoining properties and will not have a negative impact on the area."

It claimed there are no studies to suggest that proximity to solar farms has a negative impact on property prices.