Wind farm application which received dozens of objections withdrawn

Department had raised concerns about the potential impact of the wind farm on bird populations

A planning application for a Donegal wind farm that has attracted dozens of objections has been withdrawn.

Cuilfeach Teoranta applied to Donegal County Council in June to build eight turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 150m in the townlands of Graffy, Meenamanragh and Dalraghan More near Glenties.

Strabane-based Harley Consultants has written to the council saying it is withdrawing the application following a High Court judicial review decision involving environmentalist Peter Sweetman and An Bord Pleanála.

A decision on the application was due this month but the applicant requested an extension on the period for making the decision until September, which was granted by the council.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has raised concerns about the potential impact of the wind farm on bird populations of merlin, golden eagle and white-tailed eagle as well as freshwater pearl mussel and salmon.

In a submission, the Loughs Agency also raised concerns about the potential impact wind farm developments can have, including “the risk of large scale peat movements which can ecologically damage whole rivers and catchments”.

Opposition

More than 30 submissions have been made on the proposed wind farm, all voicing opposition to the development.

Locals have raised concerns about the potential impact of the wind farm on the landscape and wildlife.

The Graffy Environmental Group, a group of local people opposed to the wind farm, said it was happy that the application had been withdrawn.

Chair of the group Anthony Scott said the group would have preferred to have seen the application turned down by Donegal County Council following the submission from the Department of Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sport and Media.

He said the submission shared many of the concerns the group had.

“The Loughs Agency also shared many concerns regarding potential landslides. Given the number of submissions to the planning office expressing valid and well thought out arguments against why this development should be given planning permission, it would be difficult to envisage how any future application for a wind farm development on the Graffy site could be considered by the planners and we would hope and expect that Donegal County Council would draw a line under this matter and consider it closed.”

Mr Scott said the group believes further proposed wind farm developments in the county should now be put on hold until a national plan is put in place “with proper consideration taken into account of the environmental impact of these wind farms in the long term”.

He said applications for wind farm developments should not be considered in isolation but alongside other existing or proposed wind farms in the area.