Expertise wanted to help Harristown-Coughlinstown ABP appeal

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The Harristown Coughlinstown Community Group has appealed for local people with knowledge and expertise in Engineering, Biodiversity, Equine, and Cultural Heritage areas to help out with their appeal against permission for a solar farm project recently granted in the area, writes Brian Byrne.

These are some of a range of aspects under which the group hopes to build their appeal, but with the ‘very tight’ time constraint of a 3 January deadline, they are not in a position to employ consultants. Other expertise needed is in the areas of Noise, Environmental Impact Assessment, Landscape and Visual, and Fire risk.

“None of us are expert in any of these fields,” a member of the group says, “but we have been forced to learn quickly over the past few months.”

The planning permission was granted last week by Kildare County Council to Delamain Solar Farms Limited, promoters of the development which would see the building of banks of solar farms across a number of sites in the area. The permission provides for an operational life of 40 years for the installations.

Another solar farm for which permission was granted north of the latest proposal is currently under appeal to ABP. A Judicial Review is also being sought for a battery energy storage system at Dunnstown, for which permission was granted by ABP after being refused by KCC.

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