Action group vows to appeal decision to grant planning for wind farm
An AI generated image generated by a member of Ballyfeeney Action Group calibrated off the height off the mast and used to demonstrated the relative scale of the proposed turbines.
Planning permission has been granted with conditions for a wind farm in the Ballyfeeney area but a local action group has said it will appeal the decision 'vigorously'.
Ballyfeeny Green Energy Limited sought planning permission last September to construct and operate a wind farm consisting of six wind turbines. The turbine specification is unconfirmed but will fall within the range outlined by Roscommon County Council. These options are: tip height of 160m, rotor diameter of 136m and hub height of 92m; tip height of 156m, rotor diameter of 133m and hub height of 90m; or tip height of 159m, rotor diameter of 138m and hub height of 90m.
The location comprises Tully, Ballyfeeney, Pollymount, Bellanamullia, Scramogue, Treanaceeve, Ballyhubert, and Tooreen.
In December the council requested further information on the development with this being provided by the developers in June.
A large number of submissions had been in made in opposition to the wind farm.
Reacting to the news this morning Rory Doyle, secretary of the Ballyfeeney action group, said: “This is a devastating day for the community. Roscommon County Council as a planning authority has really let down the people of Ballyfeeney, Slatta, Scramogue and all the surrounding areas with this decision.
"The utter disregard for the hundreds of submission made stressing the unsuitability of the area for this scheme has fallen on deaf ears. But you can be sure that this is not over! Between the many procedural failings of Roscommon County Council, which we will be reporting to the Office of the Planning Regulator, we will be taking all avenues of appeal to fight on.
"This is not what the people want, it will do damn all for the green agenda when we can’t fully utilise the wind sources we have already, with millions spent per annum on curtailment payments, and it’ll bring little benefit to the community that will have to put up with it for years to come.”
Conor Maher, chair of the action also stated: “The very strong reaction in the community against this application has been ignored, it was never about nimbyism. It was all about proportionality. These six turbines are located too close to each other on such a small footprint of land and that flies in the face of proper planning. We will appeal this most vigorously.“
