Statkraft Ireland have been awarded provisional planning permission to construct a new wind farm, substation and underground line along part of the Laois/Offaly border.
The two local County Councillors in the area – Independent Councillor Aidan Mullins and Fianna Fáil Councillor Paddy Bracken – each raised concerns over the proposed development.
But they were told that Laois County Council had little to no say on the development, which has been approved be An Bord Pleanala, and the information presented to elected Councillors was merely a courtesy step.
Further disconcerting to the two councillors was the description of the proposed building as “significant.”
The development is expected to take 16 months to complete and will comprise of the following key elements:
- Construction of 110kV substation on greenfield lands;
- Laying of 2.45km of underground electric cabling systems between the Dernacart wind farm site and the new substation;
- Laying of 10.85km of underground electrical cabling from the new 110kV substation to the Bracklone substation.
The wind farm development comprises up to eight wind turbines with a tip height of up to 185m, on a total area of 90.8 hectares [224.27 acres].
The substation development site is located in Barranaghs, County Offaly, a rural area approximately 1.3km from Garryhinch, 3km from Mountmellick and 6km from Portarlington.
The grid connection cable is to be installed on the public road network and will have a length of almost 11km that passes through Garryhinch, Coolnavarnoga, Coolaghy, Kilbride, Ballymorris, Cooltederry and Bracklone.
The closest residential properties to the substation site are a cluster of dwellings approximately 220m to the west and 310m to the east.
Once operational, the main noise source from a substation is from the transformer(s). The noise is generally recognisable as a steady hum which arises from electric and magnetic forces within the transformer.
The development will have a significant effect on the biodiversity in the area and as such, the works will be supervised and monitored by an Ecological Clerk of Works (EcoW) to ensure that all environmental controls and mitigation is implemented in full.
The existing land cover on the site varies from degraded bogs, marginal grassland, forestry and scrublands.
The works will include tree felling of 2.8 hectares [6.9 acres] of forestry, as well as the removal of hedgerow and scrub vegetation.
A section of the proposed grid route which will cross the River Barrow – the main surface water feature in the area – and a total of 16 water crossings are required to facilitate the proposed development.
There is a public supply source protection area with regards to the Portarlington Water Supply Scheme and the nearby Mountmellick Derryguile supply source.
During the construction period, documentation provided to Laois County Councillors says “the proposed development has the potential to lead to effects” on local well supplies, hydrology and hydrogeology “unless appropriate mitigation is applied.”
Potential impacts relate to species disturbance/displacement due to lighting and noise. Both badger and bats were recorded within sections of the proposed development and are species most sensitive to lighting.
The main noise emissions during the operational phase will result from substation noise and wind turbine noise.
No geological heritage sites are present within the development site boundary.
