WIND FARM COMPANY APPEALS REFUSAL
THE wind turbine company, Silver Birch Renewables Ltd lodged their appeal to An Bord Pleanala on Monday against the findings of Kerry County Council to erect 14 wind turbines across 15 individual holdings in Ballydesmond and Gneeveguilla.
An Bord Pleanala confirmed to The Corkman that it had received the appeal by post.
Homeowners in the region are bitterly disappointed but will put up a fight to have their voices heard at An Bord Pleanala level. Many of the 50 objectors, along with a group signature which had over 160 names, cited environmental, noise, visual, health, depreciation of property to the endangerment of species such as the hen harrier as being paramount reasons on why the application should be refused.
Thomas Fitzpatrick of Knocknaboul in Ballydesmond is part of Sliabh Luachra Windfarm Awareness Group and he told The Corkman he, along with many more, are “disappointed” that an appeal has been lodged.
He said: “We now hope that An Bord Pleanala will follow the same line of thinking as Kerry County Council. The bottom line is that no resident wants these turbines near their homes. They are 150 metres in height.”
KCC turned down Silverbirch Renewables Ltd application based on environmental, residential and visual grounds.
While the awareness group cautiously welcomed the decision by KCC, they also held two information meetings, anticipating an appeal to Bord Pleanala by Silverbirch Renewables.
Silverbirch Renewables Ltd sought planning with KCC for 150 metre turbines which would extend across 15 individual land-holdings in the town-lands of Tooreenagarriv, Ballynahulla, Barna, Knocknageeha, Lisheen, Reanasup and Reaboy.
Fred O’Sullivan had a stall at the information evenings in both Ballydesmond and Gneeveguilla. He organised, with others, to have the humming sound of a turbine at 750 metres played throughout the duration of the information evenings for people to experience the sound. “Our entire point was to show everyone what it would be like to be near a turbine but it is worth pointing out that the proposed turbines are to be placed 500 metres from people’s homes, so the sound would without question be worse,” he said at the time.
On Tuesday this week, he said: “I am totally devastated that an appeal has been lodged to An Bord Pleanala and this is especially so since the wording and viewpoint by Kerry Co Council was so strong when they rejected the planning application in the first place.”