Rural paradise sacrificed in a headlong rush to green profit
ON AN early summer’s day, the townland of Harlockstown near Ashbourne, Co. Meath, looks picture-postcard perfect.
Cattle graze peacefully and in the distance corn sways under warm sunny skies – it’s green as far as the eye can see with the odd house or farm building.
But if applications for three adjoining solar farms are successful, the view will be more than 300 acres of solar panels, surrounded by steel fencing with sub stations, offices, CCTV cameras, access roads and access tracks.
One long-term resident says: ‘I work in the city but I come home to this absolutely beautiful rural paradise and the thought that all that could be gone is horrendous.
‘We’re all in favour of green energy but not like this. The loss of amenity is going to be huge.’
Councillor Seán Smith agrees and has called for a moratorium on all solar farm permissions until guidelines are in place.
‘This has all come on very fast and we need to stop and look at what is best because once these farms are there, it will be difficult to undo.’