North Mayo wind farm proposal recommended for refusal

A PROPOSED wind farm in north Mayo has been recommended for refusal by planners and councillors.

An Coimisíun Pleanála will ultimately decide a planning application for the Tirawley Wind Farm, comprising 16 turbines on a 120 hectare site near Killala, Lacken and Ballycastle.

Mayo County Council has prepared a report for the board, recommending refusal, and councillors at their monthly meeting held a similar view.

Concerns included visual impact on the local scenery, including iconic Downpatrick Head, as well as local heritage and archaeology and residential amenity. And the report found the area is unsuitable for 'industrial scale' infrastructure of this nature.

The opinion that the council would not be in favour of the project was shared with developers Constant Energy Ireland at the pre-planning stage.

During the debate, councillors expressed frustration that the national wind energy guidelines have not been put on a statutory footing, with updated guidelines needed as things change in the renewable energy sector.

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly said the proposal didn't enjoy local community support and there was 'zero' sincere engagement with them.

It would compromise the scenery and residential amenity of north Mayo, warning it would destroy their tourism offering.

It was the view of the elected members that the application was highly speculative, he said.

And until the department draft revised guidelines and put them on a statutory footing, no such applications should be approved in Mayo, added Councillor Munnelly.

Councillor Marie Therese Duffy called on the council to reject the proposal, saying the location is unsuitable for such industrial scale infrastructure which would undermine community wellbeing and environmental integrity.

Other local councillors agreed with the views expressed, with Councillor Harry Barrett saying communities are getting all the pain and none of the gain from wind farms, and this proposal is 'a step too far'.

(Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme)