Cork solar farm plan refused by council over potentially ‘injurious’ impact on cultural heritage

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

Cork County Council has refused planning permission for a 21-hectare solar farm in the townland of Berrings in the north-west of the county, citing the possibility of an adverse impact on visual amenities, hedgerows and a nearby ring-fort.

The applicant, Engie Developments Ireland Limited, had sought permission for the c13.8MW solar photovoltaic (PV) farm on agricultural lands around 1.5km from the village of Berrings in the Inniscarra area west of Cork city.

The proposal involved approximately 37,000 PV panels on ground-mounted frames and an operational lifespan of 35 years. The company said the project would contribute to achieving the objectives of the Climate Action Plan 2024 and Ireland’s commitment to being carbon neutral by 2050.

Conditional planning permission for a solar farm on the site was granted to the same applicant in 2019 but expired in 2024 before significant works could be carried out. In the documentation it submitted to the council to support the current application the company said the proposed development was identical in scale and nature to the one granted permission in 2019.

However, the council’s planning department refused permission for the development this time, saying it would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

In its decision document the council said that “in the absence of a comprehensive Archaeological Impact Assessment, incorporating archaeological testing and a comprehensive assessment of potential impacts and mitigation, it is considered that the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the proposed development would not be seriously injurious to the archaeological/cultural heritage of the area.”

The planning authority said it was “not satisfied that the proposed development would not be seriously injurious with respect to the Recorded Monument - Ringfort (CO061-143).”

The council said it was also not satisfied that the proposed development would not give rise to significant adverse impacts on the hedgerows and trees along the field boundaries. It found that “in the absence of sufficient mitigation measures by way of appropriate natural screening and landscaping”, the development would detract from visual amenities and “seriously injure the amenities of property in the vicinity.”

Engie Developments Ireland Limited describes itself as a global energy business with expertise in electricity, natural gas and energy services. It is currently developing a number of renewable energy sites across Ireland in addition to several large-scale battery storage sites. The company has four weeks to appeal Cork County Council’s decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála.