Council approves wind turbines at site of recent refusal

Planning permission has been granted for a wind farm in an area of Co Offaly where 10 turbines were blocked by An Bord Pleanála last year.

Galetech Energy Developments Cloghan has been granted approval, subject to conditions, for nine turbines with a maximum tip height of 150m in Cloghan, Co Offaly.

Last December Galetech’s application for 10 turbines with a maximum tip height of 170m in the same area was refused by An Bord Pleanála, which said the proposal was “excessively dominant” and “visually obtrusive.”

The conditionally approved application permits turbines for 10 years at Stonestown, Kilcamin, Crancreagh and Derrinlough in Cloghan, where last year’s planned turbines were refused.

Offaly Wind Energy Information Group's Damien Buckley is angry with Offaly County Council, who he claimed had failed to heed An Bord Pleanála's previous decision. He said a sizeable sum was spent in order to successfully lodge objections last year but "we will fight it like we did the last time".