'A more sustainable model is smaller scale solar developments'
Last Friday, July 7, the Crookedwood and Gartlandstown community came together in Taghmon Parish Hall to discuss and share information relating to the proposed solar and battery storage facility currently with Westmeath County Council's planning department. The committee issued this statement following the meeting.
The meeting was organised and chaired by the community committee team that has been recently formed to represent the community in opposition to this proposed development. The committee members include locals Alan Broderick, Colm and Niamh DeBurca, John Cogan and John Burke. The meeting was opened by John Burke, who started by saying that the committee and community are 100 per cent behind the green transition and fully understand Ireland’s 2030 climate targets and know solar is key component of that journey. He made it very clear to all those present that what the community is objecting to is the proposed size and location of the development and not solar power.
The community believe that a much more sustainable model are smaller scale solar developments on farms and farm buildings, factories, data centres, up to 6 MegaWatts as outlined in the Green Agenda for 2030, recently published by the government. In the UK, 23 large solar power plants (to 30MW in size) were refused planning permission in 2021 and 2022, mainly due to the inappropriate location of the developments on sensitive lands and high agricultural value lands. Ireland and Westmeath should follow the same guidance.
John Burke said that with the rapid pace of technology advancement, the probability of the proposed solar development being obsolete before the end of the 35-year lease duration, is very high.
"Climate change is the world’s greatest problem that humanity needs to solve. There are and there will continue to be huge amount of resources and funding focused on climate change in the coming year. Together with Generative AI (GenAI), this will result in rapid advancements in technology in the next five years. New technologies will be invented which will make this proposed solar development, outdated and very insufficient in a short time frame. The result will be this development could be abandoned and the solar panels will be a blight on the landscape for generations to come."
The committee outlined the key reasons why they are objecting to the proposed development and they include:
The Lakelands of Westmeath are part of our identify, our history our culture and, according to the Westmeath County Council Development Plan, the area around Lough Derrarravagh is an area of outstanding nature beauty.The area is a Designated National Heritage area. The area is a Designated High Amenity Area - tourism, fishing and general well-geing of those who live in Westmeath.
Special Protection Area (SPA) for wildlife – under National and European Law – there are four species protected under Irish and EU law including the whooper swan. The committee and community have huge environmental concerns, including for the wash off from the solar panels into the waterways, and how that will impact the local hydrology and wildlife in the area.
Collectively all these designations and protections, allows this beautiful area to be loved by so many people and known as an area of Myths and Legends, with the Children of Lir
It was also noted, that in the planning documents submitted by NEON, it states that the next phase of the development is for the transport of the energy produced to the national grid and to connect with the recently approved Bracklin Wind Turbines. The committee believes that this current planning application cannot be considered in isolation of the next planning application relating to the transport of energy from the site – both applications together will have a devastating impact on the natural world, our heritage, the wildlife and people living in this area.
Robert Troy Fianna Fáil TD for Longford-Westmeath, also attended the meeting, and he said:
"I am here this evening, mainly to listen and hear the concerns of the community. The application has been submitted to the planning department and will follow the due process to conclusion”
The committee highlighted the deadline for the submission of objections to the proposed development is Thursday July 20 and called for all those present and their friends and family who care about the Crookedwood locality and lakelands of Westmeath, to send in their letters of objections to Westmeath County Council Planning Department (quoting Reference 2360178) before July 20.