Monday, September 28 saw a protest outside the Planning Department of Waterford Council on The Mall, regarding the proposed data centre development in Kilmeaden.
The development has received over 400 public submissions, which come mainly from Kilmeaden locals and political representatives who fear that Kilmeaden will be industrialised without their consent.
Although Kilmeaden will be the largest example of such a development, similar green energy proposals have received planning permission in Waterford despite huge public resistance. Those resident in Kilmeaden and the surrounding areas fear the same will occur in their own village—prompting the question, do objections from the public actually matter or make any material difference to the outcome of planning applications?
This issue arose during the Waterford Council meeting for the Comeragh District in September when Cllr. Declan Clune asked what weighting public submissions get in these cases. Cllr. Catherine Burke also asked for the exact number of live planning applications for solar farms in the Comeragh region as she questioned if the region is being disproportionately selected for the developments.
Senior Planner for Waterford Council, Aisling O’Sullivan, answered the questions, saying “We don’t have national guidance on solar farms. And absolutely we would be seeking that guidance as soon as possible, given the amount of applications that are coming in presently.
“While we might not have guidance in relation to solar farms we do have climate action plans, climate targets and I suppose as a Council we have to be cognisant of that fact as well. We are obligated to provide for renewable types of energy.”
SUNNY COMERAGH
Regarding the over-selection of Comeragh for solar farm developments, Ms O’Sullivan suggested this did seem to be the case, but made the point that other regions of Waterford have been disproportionately subjected to other kinds of green energy proposals.
“The trend that you see in the Comeragh Area, there is probably a high proportion of solar farms compared to other districts,” acknowledged Ms O’Sullivan. “In saying that in the Dungarvan Lismore District there are a higher percentage of windfarms. So, it is very much location dependant. Obviously solar farms are something that the Comeragh Area is suited to.”
Ms O’Sullivan believed that there were currently two live applications for the region and committed to getting the exact acreage of solar farms in the Comeragh area ahead of the next meeting.
“The regional economic strategy that is being done by the Southern Assembly at the moment, that will provide specific targets for each Local Authority for solar and wind and that is something that we will have to adhere to, it will be national policy effectively. They will be coming in the next 12 months. They will dictate the level of solar or the level of wind energy that we will be granting in the country,” she said.
In addressing the weighting of public submissions, as asked by Cllr. Declan Clune, Ms O’Sullivan said: “Let me be very clear on this – every single submission that comes in here from a member of the public is assessed and is taken into consideration”.
“When somebody makes a submission, they have an opportunity to appeal and decision that we make to An Coimisiún Pleanála,” Ms O’Sullivan.
“So, they [the public] are very involved in the process and if they feel that for whatever reason on the basis of any decision that comes from Waterford Council, that they are not in agreement with it, they have the right to appeal that decision,” she said.
“Anything that would have a material impact is taken into consideration, but we have to balance the concerns of the public without overall obligations to the climate action plan,” she added.
Councillor Clune followed up by making the comment that every appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála is €220, which may unattainable for a lot of people.
“There is a process there but it is not straightforward,” he added.
AARON KENT Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
