Council refuses planning for Midleton solar farm to 'preserve character' of green belt

Key among the objections was the noise impact from the development as well as the impact of glint and glare from the panels

The proposed solar farm would have been located over a number of sites across eight townlands including Bawnard East, Jamesbrook, Kilva and Rathcoursey East. File picture

Cork County Council has turned down planning permission for a large-scale 126-hectare solar farm south of Midleton, after receiving dozens of objections from locals over the proposed development.

The proposed solar farm would’ve been located over a number of sites across eight townlands including Bawnard East, Jamesbrook, Kilva and Rathcoursey East.

The council said the site formed part of the “Metropolitan Cork Green belt”, which has a prominent and high-value landscape. Allowing this development would be contrary to the policy of “preserving the character” of this green belt, it said, also citing its visual and landscape impacts.

This proposed development in Cork is one of a number of solar farms plans that have been rejected by local authorities. Westmeath County Council this month refused planning for an 87-hectare site near Crookedwood over ecological concerns.

Earlier this year, big projects in Meath and Offaly were also nixed by the local councils at planning stage.

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Rathcoursey Solar Farm Ltd had sought the permission for the Cork development, as it said such developments would play an “increasingly significant role in Ireland’s renewable energy mix over the next ten years”.

“The transition to a low carbon economy, which includes decarbonisation as one of its key pillars, is a national challenge but it is particularly evidenced in Cork,” its planning statement said. 

In its planning statement, it was also claimed that community consultation was “positive” and engagement with the community was “robust and inclusive”.

However, the planning application drew a great many objections from locals raising numerous concerns about the development.

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Key among them was the noise impact from the development as well as the impact of glint and glare from the panels, and the impact on roads in the area.

The Lower Aghada Action Group of residents said that such consultation as outlined did not take place with them with residents “nearly universally unaware of the planning application despite the fact that they are most affected by the landscape and visual impact of the proposed solar farm”.

A number of local councillors also made submissions on the plans. Councillor Danielle Twomey wrote that she had “grave concerns” over the development, criticising the engagement with locals among other factors. She said the development is of a “massive scale” and “not suitable for the area it is proposed for”.

Councillor Mary Linehan Foley wrote: “The residents feel that there has been a lack of community engagements with regards to this significant development. Engagement with them is paramount on this.”

In its decision, however, Cork County Council only honed in on one specific factor raised in the objections as it rejected the bid for planning permission – the impact on the green belt lands.

“Furthermore, it would set an undesirable precedent for similar large-scale development proposals in the area,” it said. “It is therefore considered the proposed development would materially contravene the policies and objectives of the Cork County Development Plan (2022) and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

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