South Galway community divided over plans for wind farms on Slieve Aughty

Concern has been expressed over the future of a local community in south Co Galway with the prospect of 152 wind turbines on the slopes of the nearby Slieve Aughty mountain range.

This follows An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant planning permission for a €50 million wind farm comprising 48 wind turbines of the south-western slopes of the Slieve Aughties 3 km from the village of Derrybrien in south-east Galway.

The proposed development by Keelderry Windfarm Ltd with 48 270 ft-high turbines located near the border with Co Clare is the sixth wind farm granted planning permission for the area. Last November, the appeals board granted planning for 25 turbines to the east of the current proposal.

Before that, planning permission was granted for three wind farms each comprising of 23 wind turbines while the county council granted planning to a fourth proposal with 10 wind farms.

Galway County Council refused the latest proposal planning permission, stating that the proposal would result in an unacceptable number of wind turbines in the area and would seriously injure the amenities.

The issue has been divisive in the area, according to Mr Martin Collins, spokesman for the Derrybrien and District Concerned Residents' Group. Expressing disappointment at the appeals board's latest decision, Mr Collins said: "An Bord Pleanála has little regard for the community here and instead pays heed to national policy on wind energy, which is very regrettable for the community here."

He added: "There are now over 150 wind turbines granted planning permission for the area; where is it going to stop? It has to have a negative impact and you have to wonder is there a future for our community." He said it was harder to get planning permission for a house than for a wind turbine.

However, one of the landowners involved in the 48-turbine proposal yesterday welcomed the appeals board decision.

Mr Fergus O'Donnell said: "Where the wind turbines are going to be built is a wilderness and will have no negative effects. The wind farms will be of benefit to the local community and contribute to the infrastructure of the region."

In its decision, the board ruled that the proposal would not seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and would not seriously injure the amenities of houses and vicinity.