Controversial 300-acre solar farm in Wexford receives planning permission despite over 200 objections
Wexford PeopleA 300-acre solar farm in rural Co Wexford has received planning permission despite a record number of objections from the local community. The Shelburne Energy Farm, which will be developed in the Gusserane area in the west of the county, has been the subject of strong opposition from residents since the application was submitted in September of last year.
That opposition led to the creation of the Gusserane Community Action Group (GCAG) and calls for Wexford County Council (WCC) to reject the planning application.
However, despite support from county councillors who called upon the government to put national guidelines in place to prevent large-scale solar farms being developed on rich, agricultural land, WCC has approved the planning application, leading the way for the Shelburne Energy Farm to be developed in Gusserane.
The farm will consist of panels on ground mounted frames at a maximum height of 4m, 17 transformer centres, a substation, four meteorological centres, a battery energy storage system (BESS) containing 79 battery storage modules, 19 transformer and power conditioning units, and a well and a pump house. The solar farm has a 40-year operational license.
With over 200 submissions to WCC, this planning application is the most objected to development in recent history, and those objections related to both the long and short-term impact of the farm. Given the size of the road network serving the area, several submissions related to traffic congestion during the construction period - estimated to be 24 months - and the impact of heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and machinery on the condition of those roads.
There were also concerns raised about the safety or pedestrians and cyclists, many of them children, travelling to and from Gusserane National School and the local GAA pitch.
In addition, many of those with an innate knowledge of the native wildlife voiced their fears on how the farm would negatively impact the environment and biodiversity of the area. This included the effect on the water supply from the Owenduff River, the loss of prime agricultural land, the industrialisation of a rural area, and the potential loss of habitat for endangered species.
These concerns, and others, were repeatedly raised in County Hall during council meetings from December to May as local politicians sought ways to deny developer Gen7 Renewable Energy Limited permission to construct the farm. Having requested legal advice on how best to thwart the development, councillors were advised that planning applications were a matter “solely for the council executive and the elected members have no role”.
Councillors also explored the possibility of a ‘material contravention’ of the County Development Plan, meaning the regulations regarding solar farms in Co Wexford would be altered, thus potentially preventing Gen7 from receiving planning permission. However, that material contravention was not initiated in time to impact the application and, as chief executive of WCC Eddie Taaffe explained in February, “with regards to stopping an application the law is really clear on that, we can’t do that.”
There is one final recourse for the people of Gusserane, however. While WCC has given planning permission to Gen7, that decision can be appealed to the national planning authority, An Coimisíun Pleanála (ACP), for further inspection. And, in a statement issued to The Wexford People, the Gusserane Community Action Group (GCAG) said their intention was to do just that.
“We are deeply disappointed by Wexford County Council’s decision to grant permission for the Shelburne Energy Farm,” they said. “This was the most opposed planning application in the history of Co Wexford. Yet despite unprecedented public engagement and scrutiny, the council appears not to have accepted a single substantive argument advanced by the community. On issue after issue, the applicant’s position prevailed.
“The planner’s report has done little to inspire confidence, with significant concerns dismissed, dealt with superficially or not addressed at all. Many residents are now left questioning both the value of community participation and the weight afforded to the protections contained within the County Development Plan.
“For many residents, this decision reinforces WCC’s growing reputation as a local authority more inclined to facilitate large-scale energy developments than to stand up for the communities expected to host them. This decision will reinforce the belief among many residents that WCC has effectively handed speculative energy developers a blank cheque across large swathes of rural Wexford, while communities are left to bear the consequences,” the statement claimed.
“We would like to acknowledge New Ross district councillors Michael Sheehan, Marty Murphy, Pat Barden, Bridín Murphy and John Dwyer, along with councillors from other parts of the county, who took the time to engage with residents throughout this process. We also acknowledge Senator Cathal Byrne for engaging with the community.
“Deputy George Lawlor was the only TD to visit the area, meet residents and engage directly with the issues involved.
“Despite repeated efforts by members of the community to engage with other TDs, no meaningful engagement was forthcoming. For a project of this scale and significance, that absence was both striking and disappointing.
“We will now bring this matter before An Coimisiún Pleanála.
“Wexford County Council may have made its decision. We do not accept that decision.”