New proposals on the Draft Revised Energy Development guidelines

COMMUNITY DIVIDEND:

THE planning authority or An Bord Pleanála will impose conditions on wind-farm developers to ensure that any community investment/benefit/dividend is proposed in a ‘Community Report’. This is will have to accompany a planning application. A dividend of €2 per MW, per hour, is suggested as a guideline that could be donated to a community fund where development is proposed. Other stakeholders may include local residents, businesses and business groups, community associations, a local environmental body, schools, and other key local service providers.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION:

CONSIDERED a cornerstone of wind-farm development if it is to be a long-term, workable solution that benefits communities, economy and environment. Wind energy developers will be required to engage in active public consultation with the local community at an early stage. Developers will have to prepare and submit a ‘Community Report’ as part of their planning application outlining how they have consulted and engaged with the local community regarding the proposed development and how they will work with the local community to allow for the free flow of information between the community and the developer at all stages in the project. everyone. FF Cllr Michael Cahill and SF Cllr Cathal Foley both objected to the idea, expressing caution:“We’ve reached saturation point in Kerry where wind-farm development is concerned. I would be cautious about offshore development. Our offshore is a very unique and delicate environment, and I wouldn’t want to see any wind turbines offshore,” said Cllr Foley.

Cllr Cahill said more expert knowledge of offshore development

SETBACK DISTANCE:

THE draft guidelines require a setback distance, for visual amenity purposes, of four times the tip height between a wind turbine and the nearest point of the curtilage of any residential property in the vicinity of the proposed development, subject to a minimum mandatory setback distance of 500 metres. This setback requirement is also subject to the need to comply with limits above.

NOISE AND FLICKER:

THE draft guidelines include proposed new standards aimed at reducing noise nuisance from wind energy developments for local residents and communities. The proposed new standards are in line with the most up-todate international standards, as incorporated in the 2018 World Health Organisation Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region. The permitted noise levels will take account of certain noise characteristics specific to wind energy projects – tonal, amplitude modulation and low-frequency noise – and provide penalties for tonal noise and amplitude modulation and a threshold for low frequency noise which, if breached, will result in turbine shut down. The implementation of a new robust noise monitoring framework is also proposed. A wind-farm may also be taken down if ‘light flicker’ is a problem, even after construction. was needed: “We need to bring in experts to look at this and we need to be very careful about offshore wind-farms,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cllr Johnny Healy-Rae outlined his view that wind-farm development, in suitable areas, has the potential to return an economic dividend.

“There are places suitable that can bring economic benefits. I would say that before we try to introduce a blanket ban that there are suitable places. We have something to gain from this when it’s done properly,” he said.

In its submission to the Department, KCC said it plans to make the Wild Atlantic Way ‘a matter of principle’; existing road conditions will be ‘very much’ part of its future windfarm development policy; coastal wind-farms are to be considered; all grid storage facilities will be placed underground; communities will be consulted prior to submitting wind-farm planning applications; the existing contribution of Kerry’s wind energy output is to be outlined, while the importance of Kerry’s scenic landscape to the tourist economy will also form part of KCC’s proposals to the Department.

It was agreed by a majority of councillors that a distance of 7 to 10 meters setback distance between turbines and residential property be included in KCC’s submission.

PEOPLE IN MY AREA CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE NOISE FROM WINDFARMS.