A controversial Solar Farm development in the Portlaw area has been approved by Waterford City and County Council. The Cullenagh Solar Farm is a 40 year operation and is set to include, ground mounted solar panels throughout, a 2 meter security fence, pole mounted security camera, 9 Transformer Inverter Unit Stations, and all associated development, entrance, and landscaping works.
This development has been strongly opposed by Portlaw residents and members of the High Road Solar Action Group. One of the main reasons for this opposition is the scale of the developments proposed for West Waterford.
The Cullenagh Solar Farm site is 43.6 hectacres, which is 436,000 square metres.
Speaking to The Munster Express in November, Councillor, and Chairman of the Highroad Residents Committee, Declan Clune, said,
“We’re not in any way against green energy but what we are against is the transformation of our beautiful green scenic areas into essentially grey industrial zones that will kill all the natural ecology of those areas”.
“From a local perspective here, we are concerned that in the Comeragh District we have a solar farm in Faha; we’ve a solar farm in Stradbally; we know about the huge application in Clonea Power which has gone to judicial review; we have the application now [approved] in the High Road, Portlaw area and we have a massive application in the Kilmeaden area,” Cllr. Clune said.
“We’re essentially being targeted and we’re asking the planners to look at the cumulative effect this is going to have on all our communities in the rural county Waterford,” he added.
The Cullenagh Solar Farm planning application received over 100 submissions from the public.
Letters from Councillors, Declan Clune, John O’Leary, Catherine Burke, Liam Brazil and Seanie Power were among the submissions.
Cllrs Clune and O’Leary’s were particularly lengthy, and state that this development is not in-line with the County’s Development Plan, will cause irreversible visual destruction, could risk water supplies, will negatively impact the mental health of residents, damage the biodiversity of the rural area, as well as create road safety issues when heavy good vehicles are forced to use rural unsuitable roads. While Seanie Power said, as a farmer, said he cannot support prime agricultural land been handed over to developers at a time when farmers are being asked to grow more to support the growing population.
The decision of Waterford Council is open to appeal for four weeks after the decision date.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme
Aaron Kent
