A public meeting to discuss the proliferation of solar and wind farm projects in the North Cork area was well attended this week with the organisers saying that locals are concerned that the schemes are proceeding without proper planning guidelines.
The meeting in Fermoy was organised by Councillors William O’Leary and Peter O’Donoghue who put the attendance at between 100 and 150.
Cllr O’Donoghue told the Irish Independent that people are for renewable energy “but just concerned in the way it’s being railroaded in. There are no guidelines, and it’s just all been concentrated in certain areas. It’s reckless development basically.”
“And it’s not even opposition, it’s the protection of the surrounding area and the environment and the rural landscape that’s already existing there. What the people are calling for is responsible development of renewable energy.”
“The potential here is that the whole place could be destroyed with glass and steel, completely industrialized. That’s the way it seems to be going,” the Aontú councillor said.
The two North Cork councillors have called for a moratorium on solar and wind farm developments until adequate planning guidelines are in place.
The current wind energy development guidelines date back to 2006 and there are currently no central planning guidelines for large-scale solar farms.
“There is a lot of concern locally about the saturation and the proliferation of these developments,” Cllr O’Leary said.
Referring to plans for a large solar farm in the Rathcormac area, he predicted that the proposal will attract strong opposition from locals.
In a letter sent to local councillors last month, Coolnakilla Renewable Energy Ltd said it intends to submit a planning application for a renewable energy farm in the townlands of Coolnakilla, Glannagaul and Mullentaura, around 4 km from Rathcormac. It is estimated that it would be between 150 and 200 acres.
The company said a planning application for the solar element of the development is expected to be submitted to Cork County Council in December while the feasibility of a wind farm and battery energy storage on the same site “continues to be considered.”
“People will challenge it. And I use the word challenge rather than oppose because people will want to challenge it if it’s hundreds of acres of solar farm in an area. And I asked this question at the meeting, what is the benefit to that area? Can anyone tell me one benefit? What is the benefit to a particular area or community?” Cllr O’Leary asked.
The Independent councillor questioned whether the community benefit funding offered by developers of renewables projects ever actually reaches community organisations.
“We had a number of people from different areas of North Cork and East Cork who came to the meeting and I asked, has anyone in this room been approached by the developers about the community benefit funds? And none of them were. Maybe they will be, but they haven’t been,” he claimed.
He added that commitments to community benefit funding are not a condition of planning approvals and can be diluted if a solar or wind farm is sold on to another company.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.