Appeal lodged after Donegal County Council refuses 150m wind turbine

An appeal has been lodged against a decision by Donegal County Council to refuse planning permission for a 150m wind turbine.

The local authority refused permission over concerns over the impact of the turning on the landscape of the area.

Protricity Limited had sought permission for the development at Multins, Bruckless.

The proposed development was a wind turbine with an operational lifespan of 30 years form commissioning, with a tip height of approximately 150m.

The development also provided for a control building, the upgrading of the site entrance, site access road, hardstand areas, underground cabling and all associated site works.

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Donegal County Council pointed to Council policy regarding to areas identified as ‘open to consideration’. Guidelines within the County Development Plan preclude wind turbines being located within ten times the tip height of the proposed turbine from residential properties.

The County Council explained: “As the proposed development is located outside of an area ‘open to consideration’ and located within ten times the tip height of the proposed turbine to residential properties, it is considered that to permit the proposed development would materially contravene the aforementioned objective and policy provisions of the County Donegal Development Plan 2018-2024 (as varied) and would thereby be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

The Council also pointed to a part of the plan which deals with areas of ‘high scenic amenity’ in relaying their decision to the developer.

The Council said: “Having regard to the scale of the proposed turbine in the context of the open and unspoilt nature of the receiving environment, where long views of the site are affordable from public road networks to the south and in an absence of landforms to facilitate assimilation, it is the opinion of the Planning Authority that the proposed development has the potential to result in an unwelcome visual intrusion in the upland rural area, which would be contrary to the provisions of the aforementioned Policy and furthermore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

Protricity Limited appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála, who say that the case is due to be decided by February 1, 2023.