Brittas Windfarm Limited submitted an application for 10 wind turbines, an 110kV electrical substation and ancillary development around three kilometres outside Thurles town.
The plans were submitted directly to ACP as a strategic infrastructure development, which can bypass seeking permission from the local authority.
As well as the 10 turbines, the development will also need approximately seven kilometres of underground electricity and communication cables, running from the windfarm’s substation to the Thurles substation.
The planning body received 74 submissions, with many locals raising concerns about the noise and flicker that the turbines will generate, the impact they will have on protected bird species in the area, and the visual impact that the turbines will have on the area.
Submitters also raised concerns that the road network would not be suitable to handle the development of the wind farm, and that the turbines will be a safety hazard given their proximity to the road.
In a report submitted by Tipperary County Council, the local authority raised concerns about the roads in the area, and said that a large number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) delivering to the site will have a major impact on the county’s roads.
The council requested that a special contribution be stipulated as part of any grant of planning permission that the developer will resurface a section of the N62 near one of the site entrances at a cost of €396,000.
Despite the concerns, the An Coimisiún Pleanála inspector recommended that planning permission for the windfarm be granted, subject to 27 conditions.
“It is considered that the proposed development would accord with European, national, regional and local planning policy provision,” the inspector said.
“The commission was satisfied that an approval for the proposed development would be consistent with the national climate ambitions,” the inspector’s report added.
Among the conditions set out by ACP are that the turbines that will be installed come under a specified height, and that the developer notify Tipperary County Council at least 12 weeks in advance of installation, specifying the turbine models to be used.
The commission also stipulated that all mitigation measures outlined in the environmental, archaeology, and nature reports be implemented in full, and that building works on the site can only take place between the hours of 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays.
Limits on the amount of noise generated by the turbines was also outlined by ACP.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme