COMMENT: Tipperary residents concerned about solar farm pen letter to media

Dear Sir/Madam:

We, the undersigned, are writing to raise awareness of the proposed solar farm at Killough Castle and the looming deadline of this Thursday, 6th February, for submitting objections.

A careful perusal of the planning application reveals that only permission for the solar farm itself is being sought at this time and that a separate planning permission for a massive substation, gridline and battery storage will be submitted to An Bord Pleanala at a later date.

This seems, at best, a disingenuous method and one that suggests a lack of transparency. People are not naïve.

We understand that large solar farms require large substations and battery storage facilities in order to operate. This brings us to the crux of the matter.

This project, if approved, will negatively impact upon the residents of this area, especially those located in Graigue, in numerous ways, namely:

--The proposed route for the gridline connection is traveling up the main Holycross-Littleton Road and turning onto Graigue Lane, which is a very narrow cul-de-sac that is home to approximately forty people. There are adults who must be able to go to and from work, children who must be able to go to and from school and farms that depend on road access for the milk lorry to collect milk and the meal lorries to deliver animal feed. As well, residents rely on the ability of services like An Post, rubbish collection and delivery drivers to have unimpeded access to their lane. The disruption would be monumental.

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--It is common knowledge that Graigue is sitting on solid limestone, which requires tremendous force when digging. There is serious concern that the digging required for the gridline trench could result in damages to the foundations of houses on the lane.

--Another serious concern is the impact upon our local water courses, which are connected to Cabragh Wetlands Nature Reserve. The water run-off from the proposed solar farm will result in increased superficial drainage, which will have a negative effect on these waterways. As well, there are protected species in the proposed area, such as badgers and starlings, and this project will cause disruption to the wildlife habitat.

--Finally, and perhaps most critically, there exists the very real threat of fire where battery storage facilities are involved, as well as the chemical toxins that are emitted by lithium batteries that catch fire. These fires burn for days and our local fire brigade is not equipped to handle such an incident.

We ask for the public’s support in our efforts to preserve the beauty and natural habitat of our townsland. Once it is planted in glass, concrete, lithium and cables, it will never again be what it is now.

Sincerely,

Concerned Residents of Graigue, Moycarkey