Disbelief in Cork at level of environmental requirements for large-scale projects like solar farms

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

The guidelines for the environmental studies included with planning applications for large-scale developments such as solar farms need to be beefed up to prevent developers submitting inadequate “one-day inspection reports,” an East Cork councillor has said.

At this week’s meeting of Cork County Council, Cllr Ann Marie Ahern put forward a motion calling on the council to write to the environment minister and the housing minister regarding the “lack of proper environmental study reports over a sustained period of time” for large-scale developments applying for planning permission.

“Concerns brought to me are about inadequate environmental studies for large-scale developments and at times the insufficient and inadequate environmental impact assessments that are being carried out by applicants when they're submitting planning applications on proposed lands. And it seems to be growing with each new application that's being made,” Cllr Ahern told the meeting.

“Objections by local residents are justified when local knowledge and information can so easily contradict the one-day inspection reports that are being carried out by some applicants,” she said.

Cllr Ahern said planning applications should take into account potential impacts on sensitive areas and special areas of conservation. “There are challenges in balancing development with environmental protection, but neither should suffer due to the lack of due diligence by developers submitting applications.”

“I do not believe that the current requirements are strong enough or copper-fastened enough, for example for solar panel applications in particular, due to the lack of legislation that's coming from Dáil Éireann in this area,” she said.

The motion was seconded by the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan-Foley. Cllr Rory Cocking also voiced support, saying “we’re getting a particular concentration of solar developments in East Cork, they’re being foisted on communities at short notice, and unfortunately, I don't think it can continue that way. So any sort of update we can get from the minister would be very much welcome.”

Cllr Peter O'Donoghue said that in relation to solar energy developments, “there's no environmental impact assessment report required. How in the name of God is that the case? We're talking about hundreds and thousands of acres of land, green fields converted into glass and steel. We're affecting habitats, we're affecting wildlife, biodiversity in so many ways. We're bringing in machines, we're clearing land, we're piling concrete into the ground. We're doing so much that affects nature and so much that affects the habitat, yet there's no environmental impact assessment report needed. That has to change.”

The council will now write to the two ministers about the issue. East Cork has become a hotspot for solar energy proposals in recent years with a slew of planning applications for solar farms that would cover thousands of acres of farmland submitted to Cork County Council. There are currently no specific planning guidelines for solar farms in Ireland.