Plans for three wind farms will see 32 turbines to tower in Limerick skies

PLANNING permission is now formally being sought for three separate wind farms, which, if approved, would see a combined 32 wind turbines tower into the skies above rural Limerick.

A six-turbine wind farm is planned for Coolcappa, while a 17-turbine facility is projected for a huge tract of land around Bruff and Dromin-Athlacca.

And a third wind farm is in the pipeline for Bruree, Charleville and Effin, which will see nine turbines built if approved.

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While residents in the Coolcappa and Bruff areas have a few more weeks to have their say on those windfarm plans, locals in the Bruree, Charleville and Effin areas only have until this Friday, October 10.

Nine turbines are planned in the townlands of Garrane, Ballynagoul and Creggane.

Local action groups have been set up to oppose the plans, with one group in Coolcappa saying their community is “facing the fight of its life” against the proposals from Ballynisky Green Energy.

A group set up in opposition to the huge 17-turbine project for the Bruff and Dromin-Athlacca area admitted they were “caught off guard” by the size and scale of the proposed development by Ballinlee Green Energy.

Since then, they have swung into action, and will next week host two workshops to help residents understand what is planned - and crucially for the group, how to object.

These will take place on Monday, October 13, from 6.30pm to 9pm at Bruff GAA Hall. Two days later, on Wednesday, a second workshop will be held at Dromin Hall, also from 6.30pm until 9pm.

Due to its size and scale, the mammoth application is before An Coimisiún Pleanála,

As well as 17 turbines, an unspecified number of trees would need to be chopped for the development, which is covering no fewer than 39 townlands in county Limerick.

A bridge is proposed across the Morning Star River.

“Upon review, community members have found the application documents to be extensive and highly technical, revealing a far greater impact than initially indicated,” the action group stated.

They have forecast 500 homes will be impacted, with 180 homes located within one-kilometre of the proposed turbine sites, with the turbines towering as high as Kilmallock’s church spire.

“This development will substantially harm wildlife and hedgerows, destroy habitats and have a detrimental impact on ecosystems in the area. It will change our landscape and community far more than what we were first led to believe,” said a spokesperson for the Bruff Dromin-Athlacca-Ballinlee Action Group.

For its part, Ballinlee Energy has said the project will provide power to local homes, schools and businesses and create jobs locally.

It will bring down consumers’ energy bills, they add.

In Coolcappa, the action group say: “there is a sense the very spirit” of the village “is at stake”.

Due to the smaller nature of this windfarm development, it will be planners in Limerick who will decide on the project in the first instance.

A spokesperson for the action group - who held a meeting in the village last week - said: “This fight is not just about today. It is about the future of Coolcappa. Imagine your child returning home in years to come, hoping to build a house and raise a family only to be told it cannot happen because the land has been sterilised by the presence of an industrial wind turbine. That’s the reality we fear. Planning restrictions mean no new homes can be built within a certain distance of a turbine, yet these large machines may be permitted beside homes that already exist,” they said.

Like the windfarm planned in Bruff, developers here want to see the facility operational for at least 35 years.

Ballynisky Green Energy did not return a request for comment from the Leader.

Previously, the group said they remained open to talks with the Coolcappa Community Action Group.

“The project will fully comply with national regulations on noise and once operational, a comprehensive noise monitoring regime will be undertaken to ensure the proposed development complies with regulations,” they added.

The firm said it will create a €150,000-per-year community benefit fund.