Kilkenny County Council is recommending that developers go back to the drawing board on plans for Castlebanny Windfarm.
The planning application for the huge 21 turbine project’s already been lodged with An Bord Pleanála, but the local authority now has to make its own submission.
Chief Executive Colette Byrne’s final recommendation is due on April 8th.
However, councillors were told at a special meeting today that she’s already found insufficient public consultation’s been carried out on the project, and too few of their environmental concerns have been addressed.
All elected members are strongly supporting the findings, including Cllr Peter Chap Cleere- who says the size of the project is a particular concern;
“Based on the shortcomings in the application that’s been put through, it was strongly recommended today that there be a redesign in terms of the extent and scale” he’s told KCLR. “It wasn’t fit for purpose, so it was rejected in its current form by all local councillors, of all parties and none. Unfortunately, the final decision is with An Bord Pleanála, so we’ve been bypassed. We’ve had our input and had our say today, and we have serious concerns about it, in particular the size and the scale of this proposal”.
“If approved, it would be the biggest windfarm in the country, by a significant amount- you’re talking four times the height of Croke Park”
