A 10 YEAR PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF, AND A 40 YEAR OPERATION AND SUBSEQUENT DECOMMISSIONING OF…

Application details

Planning reference

218

Council

Offaly County Council

Proposal description

A 10 YEAR PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF, AND A 40 YEAR OPERATION AND SUBSEQUENT DECOMMISSIONING OF, A DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF A 52.75 HECTARE SOLAR FARM AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND 9.32 KILOMETRE UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY GRID CONNECTION (0.95 HECTARES) GIVING A TOTAL COMBINED AREA FOR BOTH THE SOLAR FARM, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY GRID CONNECTION OF 53.7 HECTARES. THE PROPOSED SOLAR FARM AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM WILL CONSIST OF A SERIES OF GROUND MOUNTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) PANELS MOUNTED ON STEEL SUPPORT STRUCTURES, TOGETHER WITH A SINGLE STOREY ESB SUB-STATION BUILDING ON SITE, 18 NO. ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMATION ENCLOSURES, 68 NO. BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE UNITS, A TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION COMPOUND, UNDERGROUND CABLING, INVERTERS, CCTV POLES AND CAMERAS, DEER TYPE SECURITY FENCING, PALISADE FENCING, ACCESS TRACKS, LANDSCAPING AND BIODIVERSITY MEASURES AND ALL ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY DEVELOPMENT WORKS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF GENERATING RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICITY AT THE TOWNLANDS OF DERRIES AND LACKAN. THE PROPOSED 9.32 KILOMETRE UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY GRID CONNECTION WILL CONSIST OF UNDERGROUND; 13 JOINT BAYS, 13 LINK BOXES AND 13 COMMUNICATIONS CHAMBERS. THE PROPOSED UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY GRID ROUTE PASSES UNDERNEATH THE WOOD OF O BRIDGE A PROTECTED STRUCTURE ON THE GRAND CANAL. THE PROPOSED SOLAR FARM IS LOCATED IN THE TOWNLANDS OF DERRIES AND LACKAN, CO. OFFALY. THE PROPOSED UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY GRID CONNECTION IS TO BE INSTALLED ENTIRELY UNDER PUBLIC ROADS FROM THE PROPOSED SOLAR FARM AT DERRIES AND LACKAN TOWNLANDS TO THORNSBERRY 110KV ESB SUBSTATION, WHICH PASSES THROUGH THE TOWNLANDS OF DERRIES, KILMURRY, DERRYGROGAN LITTLE, DERRYGROGAN BIG, WOOD OF O, CORNDARRAGH, DERRYNAGALL OR BALLYDALY, ARDAN AND PUTTAGHAN, CO. OFFALY. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING AUTHORITY WITH THIS APPLICATION

Location / address

TOWNLANDS OF DERRIES LACKAN KILMURRY DERRYGROGAN LITTLE DERRYGROGAN BIG WOOD OF O CORNDARRAGH, DERRYNAGALL OR BALLYDALY ARDAN AND PUTTAGHAN, CO. OFFALY

Application type

PERMISSION

Received / registered

15 Jan 2021

Council decision

CONDITIONAL

Council decision date

23 Nov 2021

Final grant date

12 Jan 2022