LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Council on collision course with government over wind farm guidelines 

Credit:  Story by Olga Aughey | Westmeath Examiner | 24th May, 2016 | www.westmeathexaminer.ie ~~

The Minister for the Environment, Simon Coveney, has this week issued a stern warning to Westmeath County Council over its amendment to the county development plan on wind farm guidelines.

Mr Coveney has used his full power of authority under section 31 of the planning and development act to go against a decision taken by the council on April 25 last, where members voted unanimously to adopt the proposed ‘Variation No 1’ in the plan. The variation calls for a night time noise limit of 30db outside wind energy developments. This goes against the current 2006 guidelines of which allows for a night time noise limit of 43db.

Mr Coveney wrote to the CEO of Westmeath County Council, Mr Pat Gallagher last week issuing a draft directive that the variation be deleted altogether from the plan, along with another amendment, which calls for equine facilities be regarded as noise sensitive receptors.

Government failure

Dep Robert Troy has this week slammed the government’s failure to implement new wind energy guidelines and says Mr Coveney is going against the democratic will of the elected members of Westmeath County Council.

“The government are still acting under antiquated guidelines from 2006. They are saying one thing on the ground to pacify the people but the government are doing absolutely nothing to address these issues,” said Dep Robert Troy.

“We were promised the guidelines before the last local election in 2014, it’s now 2016, two years on, and they are still issuing directives on antiquated guidelines,” he continued. “They have rejected the democratic will of Westmeath County Council, of the elected members that are there to represent the people of Westmeath and their concerns over this issue, and I for one will be raising this in the Dáil the next chance I get.”

Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Frankie Keena, said this is a prime example of how the powers of local authorities being erased.

Source:  Story by Olga Aughey | Westmeath Examiner | 24th May, 2016 | www.westmeathexaminer.ie

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon