Council says no to Barntown solar farm
PLANS for a large solar farm containing around 17,500 photovoltaic panels in a field opposite Barntown Church on the N25 have been rejected by the county council.
The decision was partly made because the glint and glare from the panels may have caused a traffic hazard for those using the natonal primary road.
The application by Dublin-based Power Capital Renewable Energy Ltd. was for the construction of a 5MW solar pv farm, with the photovoltaic panels on ground frames within a site area of 11.74 hectares, owned by Patrick Kirwan of Cartron House, Ballygoman.
In his executive order refusing permission for the development, County Council acting director of service
Tom Banville said the proposed solar farm would have been visually obtrusive when viewed from adjacent roads, surrounding countryside and a number of properties in the immediate vicinity of what was a rural area.
Mr Banville said it was also condsidered the development could have endangered public safety as a traffic hazard because ‘it had not been demonstrated that the glint and glare.. from the proposed development will not have a negative impact on the users of the N25’.
Part of the development would have included a two-metre high security fence and five CCTV cameras mounted on four-metre high poles.
The site is the opposite side of the N25 to Barntown Church and the nearby Barntown National School and is next to the ESB sub-station which serves the area.
The decision is the third rejection of plans for solar farms in the county over the past weeks. Last week it was revealed that the council had refused Highfield Solar Limited permission to build a huge 89.5 hectare solar farm at Ballyminaun Big, Grahormick, Hilltown, Jonastown, Newhouse, Gibboughstown, Garryhask, Crosstown, Killinick and Tomhaggard and a 12.7 hectare farm at Monafin, Enniscorthy.
Meanwhile, a solar farm at Ballycarn, Rosslare has been given the go ahead. The application for the farm was submitted by Wexford Solar Ltd which has a registered company address in Dunboyne, Co. Meath. Currently the site earmarked for the solar farm is two fields which are under grass.
Planning permission has already been granted to Philip Hore and to John Hore for solar farms, each with a capacity of 4MW, to the south of the proposed farm. The three farms together will effectively create one large solar farm of 12 MW of approximately 30 hectares.
In looking at the application planners at Wexford County Council said that glint and glare issues on neighbouring lands weren’t a factor in this case due to the topography of the site and the levels of existing natural screening.
They also felt that the visual impact of the proposed development would be acceptable from both medium and long range views while it was also felt that there would be no significant impact on drainage patterns.
It was also noted that ‘ the proposed development would have a relatively benign impact on ecology subject to appropriate provision for the movement of mammals at ground level.’
The planners felt that the siting of the farm was in a good location ‘in terms of limited visual impact. The combination of setback from public roads and existing hedgerows surrounding the site as well as other hedgerows in the immediate area combine to provide significant natural screening for the proposed development’.
It also noted: ‘It is widely acknowledged that there is a need for alternative forms of energy generation and there is an urgent need to reduce the current reliance on fossil fuel and resulting green house gases. A development such as this will also have significant environmental benefits having regard to energy efficiency and climate charge.
‘ The proposal for solar power generation would make a valuable contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It is considered that the benefits of the proposed solar farm in relation to sustainable and diverse energy production and a reduction in fossil fuel consumption will outweigh the potential impacts of the residential dwellings in the vicinity and visual intrusion in general.’