Tipperary council's approval of Knockroe Windfarm is being appealed to An Bord Pleanála

Planning approval granted by Tipperary County Council for a windfarm of up to seven turbines in townlands between Drangan and Cloneen is being appealed to An Bord Pleanála with a decision due in April. 

Dublin-based ABO Wind Ireland Ltd secured conditional planning permission for its proposed Knockroe Windfarm development from the council on October 27 last but an appeal has been  lodged to An Bord Pleanála by  local residents who objected to the planning application.

The company  secured conditional 10-year planning permission to develop the  windfarm on the townlands of Knockroe, Kilnagranagh, Newtowndrangan, Tullowcussaun, Ballyvadlea, Ballyhomuck, Kilburry West, Milestown, Bannixtown, Quartercross, Clare More, Killusty North, Killusty South, Kiltinan, Loughcapple, Grange Beg, Miltown Britton, Mullenranky, Kilmore,, Ballinvoher, Redmondstown and Ballyvaughan.  

The  location of the proposed windfarm is  between Drangan and Cloneen, though closer to Drangan,  and about 7km from Slievenamon. 

The wind turbines proposed for the windfarm would have a maximum tip height of 150m and comprise a tower of between 75 to 95m high, to which three blades of between 55-70m in length will be attached.

ABO Wind also secured conditional planning permission to construct a 38kv electrical substation that would be connected to the wind turbines by 20kv underground cables.

 Permission was also secured for 19km of 38kv underground cabling along public roads to facilitate the connection of the windfarm’s electrical substation to the existing Doon sub station at Ballyvaughan. 

Tipperary County Council received 42 submissions in relation to  the Knockroe Windfarm planning application, which was first lodged with the council on October 12, 2021.  

Two action groups that made submissions cited the negative visual impact the wind turbines would have on views of Tipperary’s iconic Slievenamon as one of their key objections to the project. 

They were the Slievenamon Action Group, which represents residents from Cloneen, Drangan and Mullinahone, who are opposed to the windfarm, and the Suir Valley Environmental Group that successfully campaigned against the development of a windfarm at   Carrigadoon and Curraghdobbin Hills,  foothills of Slievenamon, near Faugheen and Ahenny several years ago. 

The appeal of the council’s planning approval for the Knockroe Windfarm project, however, has been lodged by two local residents from the Cloneen area. Four other local residents and Wild Ireland Defence CLG also submitted appeals but An Bord Pleanála has listed those as invalid. ABO Wind Ireland is listed as a first party appellant in the appeal.    

In their detailed submission to  the planning application public consultation process, the appellants highlighted their concerns about the visual impact the windfarm would  have on their family home, neighbours homes, the community living close to the windfarm and the unspoilt landscape of the whole area. 

They expressed concern about the height and scale of the turbines and argued they would “tower and dominate” over the local communities of Drangan, Cloneen and Mullinahone and would be visible from as far as Ninemilehouse, Killenaule, Clonmel and across the Slievenamon Valley. 

Like the two action groups, the residents said the windfarm would have a negative impact on the “unspoilt beauty of Slievenamon and the surrounding countryside”. 

“We have a great appreciation for the beauty of Slievenamon Mountain and the surrounding hinterlands with its unblemished landscape and character, which we believe ought to be protected. 

“Whilst a development of this height, size and scale may be appropriate on an undulating and rolling hillside setting where the impact can be spread, and the full view of the entire farm avoided and be well removed from community settlements, we feel it’s unsuitable to an isolated hill within an area of unspoilt rural scenic beauty in close proximity to the three settlements and wider communities of Mullinahone, Cloneen and particularly Drangan village, beside which the development is positioned.” 

Dissatisfaction with ABO Wind Ireland’s public consultation process with local residents and concerns about the impact of noise and shadow flicker from the wind turbines are among the other objections they outlined in their planning application submission. 

An Bord Pleanála expects to reach a decision on the appeal of the  planning permission granted for this windfarm project by April 5.