Ballynacargy solar farm gets green light

Planning permission has been granted for a new solar farm outside Ballynacargy, despite objections from locals.

The successful planning application by Harmony Solar Kildallan Ltd includes details for the construction of a solar farm on a 140-acre site approximately 1.3km east of Ballynacargy and 9.7km north west of Mullingar.

The site is located on three parcels of land within the townlands of Toor Commons, Ballysallagh (Fox), Ballyhug, Ballysallagh (Tuite), Ballyhoreen, Kill, Balroe, Cartron, Grange, Kildallan North, Kildallan, Parcellstown, Slane More and Walshestown South.

The development will consist 781,578sqm of solar photovoltaic panels, as well as 3,400 sqm of new hedgerow, 5.3km of new access tracks and a 10.4km underground cable route along local public roads from the proposed development to infrastructure within the Clondaris solar farm, which Harmony Solar was granted planning permission for in 2018.

Westmeath County Council received around 20 objections from locals, including Cllr Johnnie Penrose.

In his submission, Cllr Penrose said that he was writing “to express a strong observation and indeed reservation about the scale, size and more especially the proposed location of part of the solar farm”.

“I am aware from living in the area, that many of the residents of the greater Ballyhug area have concerns in relation to the proposed development.

“... There is concern over the fact that this development is in close proximity to a significant concentration of houses in the Ballyhug/Sonna Avenue area, and the negative impact on the residential amenity and quiet enjoyment thereof is of major concern.

“It is submitted that this is located too close to the houses in the location, and it is difficult to conceive of any method of screening that would mitigate or reduce the negative effects of the development upon these houses,” Cllr Penrose wrote.

Other objectors also voiced their concerns about a range of issues related to the development, including its scale and the impact it will have on property values and the character of the area.