BORD REFUSES WIND FARM

AN Bord Pleanála has upheld a decision by Kerry County Council to refuse a wind farm in Ballylongford.

The Ballylongford Windfarm Group had applied to Kerry County Council to construct eight wind turbines at Aghanagran Lower and surrounding townlands in Ballylongford; each with a ground-to-blade tip height of 126.5 m.

Kerry County Council refused permission last year, a decision that was appealed to the Bord by the Ballylongford Windfarm Group on December 4 last.

However, An Bord informed the appellant last week that its appeal was unsuccessful, in a decision that was to have been made public today (Wednesday). An Bord Pleanála confirmed the refusal to The Kerryman last week, but that was all a staff member said it could communicate until the publication of the full decision, to be released after time of press.

The refusal was welcomed by a local group opposed to the further development of renewables in the area and whose members had objected to the Aghanagran plan.

NMWT@Ballylongford (No More Wind Turbines at Ballylongford) issued a statement on Friday in which it set out its members’ satisfaction with the ruling.

It claimed the Bord came to the decision amid concerns for the environment locally, and in the absence of a key assessment having been provided by the wind farm firm.

Chair of NMWT@Ballylongford Tony Dowd said: ‘In their ruling, ABP were concerned about the impact...on the Ballylongford Creek’ and that ‘the application by the Ballylongford Wind Farm Group did not contain a Natura Impact Statement.’

NMWT Chairperson Tony Dowd