Development contribution leadstoappeal

A company which has been granted planning permission for a solar farm at Murntown by Wexford County Council has lodged an appeal against the decision due to the amount of development contributions being sought by the council.

Late last year Wexford County Council granted planning permission to Harmony Solar Dennistown for the development of a large solar farm near Murntown.

The permission is for a solar photovaltic panel array of up to 130,000 m2 of panels on ground-mounted steel frames, a fenced electricity substation compound with associated equipment and hardstanding areas.

The overall development is within the townlands of Dennistown, Sallystown, Milltown and Murntown Lower.

The permission for construction was valid for 10 years and granted for 25 years. Among the conditions of planning is one that all structures relating to the development will be removed not later than 25 years from the date of the commencement of the development and the site reinstated unless planning permission has been granted for their retention for a further period prior to that date.

The solar farm is the latest in a growing number of such developments in the south of the county.

Another planning condition was the payment of a development contribution of €64,000 for the provision or improvement of public roads.

However earlier this month Harmony Solar Dennistown lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala against the decision citing the calculation of the development contribution as its sole reason for the appeal.

Harmony Solar Denninstown cited the ‘proper application of the planning authority of the terms of the development contribution scheme’.

A decision on the appeal is expected to be made by An Bord Pleanala by May 9.