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

Fresh bid for wind farm 

Credit:  Wednesday, 14 June 2017 | www.outlooknews.co.uk ~~

Planning permission has been lodged for a wind farm outside Hilltown – six months after a previous bid was turned down.

This time, the application is for a smaller 10-turbine wind farm instead of 12.

The application for the earlier proposed wind farm off the Mullaghgarriff Road proved controversial during its 21 months in the planning process, amassing over 600 objections and support letters.

The Department of Infrastructure decided to refuse the development last November after taking into account planning policies, the development plan for the area in the heart of the Mournes and representations from interested parties.

However in the past few weeks an amended application has been submitted to Planning Service by the same applicant, ABO Wind Ltd.

The company says it has amended the proposal “as the number of proposed turbines has been reduced from 12 to 10”.

“Turbines 11 and 12 located to the northeast of the site have been removed from the proposal along with all associated infrastructure.

“A new turning head immediately north-east of turbine nine is now proposed to accommodate access.

Importantly, the layout of the remaining 10 proposed turbines has not changed from the previous Environmental Statement (ES) that was submitted.” The applicant also provided planners with an amended ES which they say “has taken into consideration the amended proposal across all environmental disciplines and the associated application drawings and necessary forms have been updated to reflect same”.

ABO Wind Ltd says it is “committed to establishing a Community Benefit fund in the local community that will contribute £3.25m over a period of 20 years which may be utilised to support a wide range of activities in the local area”.

In the intervening period since the first application was submitted in March 2015, ABO Wind says it has “committed to supporting a number of local community and environmental groups/ initiatives throughout the life span of the wind farm”.

These include the British Trust for Ornithology, Hilltown Mart, Clonduff GAA and Local Electricity Discount Scheme for those living within 1.5km of the site – to date, 39 homes have signed legal agreements to benefit from the scheme.

“The funds will be released to the groups on either commencement of construction or operation of the wind farm, depending on the nature of the legal agreement reached with ABO Wind,” a spokesman told council.

In the amended application, it says the proposed wind farm will deliver “substantial benefits” to the Northern Ireland economy and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

The scheme “will support electricity production of 101.2GWh per year, enough to meet the needs of 24,263 homes”.

“Furthermore, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by 43,507 tonnes each year.” Twelve letters of objection have already been submitted to Planning Service with regards to this amended proposal.

The Department of Infrastructure previously concluded that the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the visual amenity and landscape character of the area.

They said the proposal would be “unsympathetic to the special character of the Mournes Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)” and would be likely to harm the nationally protected species of the red kite.

Source:  Wednesday, 14 June 2017 | www.outlooknews.co.uk

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