Ballyshannon battery storage facility refused by council

Planning permission has been refused for the development of a controversial battery storage facility in Ballyshannon.

The plans for a grid services facility at Tully and Raheen, Ballyshannon were strongly opposed by locals.

Donegal County Council has refused permission for the proposed development, the operational lifetime for which was said to be 35 years, by Shoremane Limited. The development was proposed to be located on lands owned by Gerard Campbell and Brian Campbell, who confirmed their consent to the application.

Having requested further information from the developer on its plans earlier this year, the local authority told the developer that it still was not satisfied that the development would not constitute a hazard to road users.

“Having regard to the limited capacity of the local road serving the site and details of the information submitted to date,” cited the council in the decision conveyed to Shoremane Limited.

The local authority said it had regard particularly for the proposed use of private space to the front of the existing dwellings as passing bays without third party consent; the proposed use of the existing carriageway as passing bays without appropriate widening or strengthening measures; and an absence of constricted passing bays of a scale required to facilitate HGV movements from the N3 junction to the site entrance.

“The planning authority was not satisfied that the development could provide for the safety of road users in accordance with the necessary standards and guidelines,” the decision document said.

“To permit the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard, would be contrary to the County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 and would thereby be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

The company had sought a ten-year permission for a grid services facility comprising of: an enclosed battery energy storage system compound containing battery energy storage containers, electrical inverters, transformers and power control centres; an enclosed synchronous condenser compound containing a horizontal synchronous generator housed within a synchronous condenser building and ancillary infrastructure including a flywheel, transformer, circuit breaker and cooling equipment; and underground electrical and communications cabling.

The proposed development included a site entrance from the l7965-1 local road, an on-site access track and security fencing and security gates.

Pole-mounted security cameras were proposed as part of the application and all associated and ancillary site development, landscaping and reinstatement works were included.

An online petition against the proposed development was signed by 342 people while over 20 submissions against the application were lodged with Donegal County Council.

“This beautiful town regarded as Ireland’s oldest town does not need this monstrosity on the edge of it,” one objector wrote.

“This massive park is to be shoe-horned in between a number of houses by a virtually anonymous company who didn’t even have the courtesy to discuss the project with anybody in the community. The size of this park is outrageous.”

Another person pointed to the visual impact of 40-foot synchronous condenser units close to their residence and raised concerns over the potential environmental impact during both construction and operation.

One of the submissions was signed by 18 people while another had 33 signatures.

Among the objectors were Erne Enterprise Development Company Limited and Wild Ireland Defense CLG.

Some local residents expressed fears over potential emergency situations at such a site with reference made to fires at similar developments in Liverpool and Viviez in France.

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“The idea that an application would be granted to uproot, destroy, and obliterate the current landscape to install a major industrial site with major construction and potential hazardous consequences is quite shocking,” remarked one person.

Shoremane Limited could take an appeal on the decision to An Bord Pleanála.