Planning permission has been lodged to build a solar farm in Rathdowney.
Vento Ludens Ltd have applied for a five year planning permission at a site in Kilcoran, Rathdowney.
Vento Ludens Ltd develops and operates solar farms and rooftop installations internationally.
The development will consist of permission for a period of five years to construct and complete a Solar PV Energy development with a total site area of 67.6 hectares.
This includes two single-storey, 38KV electrical substation buildings and associated infrastructure.
Included in this are inverter station modules, spare parts container, solar PV panels ground mounted on support structures, internal access tracks, security fencing, electrical cabling and ducting.
CCTV and other ancillary infrastructure, drainage, additional landscaping and habitat enhancement as required and associated site development works including vehicular access works.
If successful, this would be the third solar farm to get the green light in Laois in recent years.
Approval for the Mountmellick development was granted, despite the objections of two local residents, Thomas and Margaret Lalor, who submitted that such a development could pose a potential hazard to the pilots who fly very low from a nearby airfield.
Councillor Paddy Bracken also made a submission on the Mountmellick plans, in which he maintained that the site was too close to existing houses and roads.
He was also concerned that ‘glint and glare’ would occur, creating a ‘potential hazard for both adjacent residents and road users’.
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