Council leases Clonmel landbank to company with plans to develop it into solar farm

Tipperary County Council has disposed of over 13 acres of land on Clonmel's outskirts by way of a long term lease to an electricity provider that plans to develop and operate a solar farm to help power local industry.

The go ahead for the disposal of the 13.32 acres at Toberaheena, Ard Gaoithe, Clonmel to SSE Airtricity Distributed Energy Ltd. through a 25 year lease was approved at Tipperary Co. Council’s September meeting in Clonmel.

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The disposal of the property by lease is subject to planning permission being granted for the proposed solar farm.

The disposal of the land under Section 183 of the 2001 Local Government Act was proposed by Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Pat English of the Workers & Unemployment Action Group and seconded by Fine Gael Cllr John Fitzgerald.

The site is situated on the eastern boundary of the Abbott Vascular and Boston Scientific plants.

According to the Council, it was part of a larger land bank of 23.32 acres purchased from the HSE in 2023. Ten acres of the landbank was disposed of to Boston Scientific in June last year.

Tipperary County Council said the disposal of this property is consistent with its strategic objectives of facilitating and activating industrial lands within its own portfolio and in private sector holdings to create employment and industrial wealth in the county and region.

“SSE Airtricity Distributed Energy Ltd. Intends to apply for planning permission to construct and operate a solar farm.

“The output from the solar farm is intended to be sold to local industry as part of a Power Purchase Agreement.

“These agreements are an efficient carbon reduction mechanism to supply electrical energy on a local basis.”

The Council noted the intended use for the land was in “complete alignment” with its Renewable Energy Policy and target of producing 70% of electricity from renewable resources by 2030.

“This innovation and the supportive policies from national government assists with maintaining investment and growth to Clonmel indigenous and multi-national companies,” the local authority added.

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