Planning for 474 acre solar farm in Carlow that residents called 'unsuitable' refused

Carlow County Council has refused a planning application for a 474 acre solar farm development. The planning application was for 10 year planning permission with the proposed site in the townlands of Ballybar Upper, Ballyloo, Ballyryan, Garryhundon and Linkardstown, County Carlow.

The planning application was submitted to the Carlow County Council on the 28th of February 2024 with a decision made on the solar farm on the 25th of March 2025.

In the planning application a number of residents in the local area have some strong objections to the proposed solar farm.

The proposed site in Carlow is circa 474 acres and is situated on agricultural lands located approximately 1.9k southwest of Tinryland, 5.1km northeast of Leighlinbridge.

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The details of the solar farm in the planning application read as follows:

A 10 Year Planning Permission for a solar farm with a total area of circa 192 hectares. The solar farm will consist of solar panels on ground mounted frames, 30 no. single storey electrical inverter/transformer stations, 4 single storey spare parts containers.

4 no. Ring Main Units, 8 no. weather stations, underground electrical ducting and cabling within the development site, private lands and within the L3051, L3052 and L3050 public roads to connect solar farm field parcels, security fencing, CCTV, access tracks, 2 no. stream deck crossings.

1 horizontal directional drill, temporary construction compounds, landscaping and all associated ancillary development and drainage works. Construction and operational access will be via 4 no. entrances from the L3051, L3052 and L3050. The operational lifespan of the solar farm will be 40 years and planning permission is requested for this duration. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared and will be submitted to the Planning Authority with the application

On the Carlow Council's planning permission website, a number of submissions have been made on the proposed development some of the concerns include:

One submission has fears over the size of the farm, stating the proposal is much larger than others submitted in Carlow and would be "unsuitable for a peaceful countryside area."

Along with this issue the submission has concerns over "loss of prime tillage land", "devaluation of homes in the area", and "visual impact" amongst other things.

Another submission claims that the proposed development would "threaten the very character and beauty of our landscape."

The same submission thinks the land should "remain for farming, not be covered in metal."

Carlow County Council have provided the reasons for the decision to not allow the development to take place stating: 

"Have disproportionate and adverse landscape an visual impacts of the rural area"

"Would result in disproportionate impacts on an area with a higher concentration of residential amenity"

"Would be out of scale with and would unduly detract from and erode those characteristics which contribute to its landscape value, including primarily rural agricultural landscape, field pattern character, setting and visual aspect"

"Would negatively impact on the established appearance and aesthetic attributes and scenic qulaity of protect scenic route"

"Would, if permitted, set an undesirable precedent for the incursion of solar farm development into lands identified as having High (maximum) Risk in the solar energy policy in the CDP and County Renewable Energy Strategy."