Bord Pleanála underground cable decision is challenged

A farmer is challenging a Bord Pleanála ruling that a high-voltage underground cable, connecting a €21 million wind farm in Co Cavan to the national grid, does not need planning permission. The action by Val Martin, whose farm at Gortnakesh is close to the wind farm under construction at Raragh, Kingscourt, will be fast-tracked in the Commercial Court.

In May, An Bord Pleanála decided that a 20-kilovolt underground cable between the wind farm and an ESB substation five kilometres away, at Kilaulun, Co Meath, was exempt development.

Mr Justice Brian McGovern, admitting the proceedings to the Commercial Court, returned the case to October.

Raragh Developments Ltd (RDL), a notice party to Mr Martin's case against the board, applied to have the case fast-tracked. In an affidavit, the company's project manager Eoin McPartland said the board had in November 2010 granted planning permission for construction and operation of a wind farm to include five turbines, a mast, electrical substation, underground cabling and ancillary works at Raragh and Corrinshigo, Kingscourt.

Mr McPartland said RDL had entered into a grid connection agreement with ESB Networks and the wind farm must be exporting electricity to the grid, by December 31st, 2017.

He said any delay in the proceedings would jeopardise RDL’s ability to complete the connection by that date. Mr McPartland said the capital cost of the entire project was some €21 million, including cost of construction, equipment and connection works. The capital cost of the grid connection alone was about €3 million, he added.