Laois residents lodge appeal against solar farm to An Bord Pleanála

A group of rural Laois residents in fear of a network of multiple electrical and renewable industrial structures across their landscape, have this week appealed plans for a solar farm to An Bord Pleanála.

Ratheniska, Timahoe and Spink Substation Action Group (RTS), has appealed against the approval of an electrical connection by East Laois Solar Farm Ltd to a new planned electrical substation in Coolnabacky, Timahoe, given by Laois County Council.

It is the residents’ latest effort in a 13 year battle to protect their rural area from what they claim will be visual and environmental damage as well as a risk to their water supply.

That fight began in 2011 when residents lodged some 600 objections to a plan by Ireland's national electrical grid manager EirGrid, to build a high voltage substation and new powerlines, as part of an upgraded electrical connection between Kilkenny and Portlaoise.

“Our contention was that this substation would become part of a huge scale project with multiple lines connecting renewables and other power plants,” the RTS residents say in an explanatory letter with their new appeal. 

“This was denied by EirGrid and they … stated ‘The Laois Kilkenny Reinforcement Project elements are not being developed, whether in whole or in part, to facilitate the connection of renewable generation’”.

“We now have a situation where renewable generation companies are looking to connect to the Coolanabacky substation in complete contravention to the commitments given by EirGrid.

“There is simply no point in our or any community in this country attending an Oral Hearing if none of the commitments given are enforced by An Bord Pleanála,” the RTS group say.

Their objection is on several grounds, including lack of landowner’s permission by ESB, lack of permission to connect by EirGrid, the cumulative effect of multiple projects, and risk of electrical fires and pollution at the substation by the added connection.

They say a complete new planning application is required by EirGrid for their substation if it is now to connect to renewable energy.

Lightsource Renewable Energy Ltd got planning permission from Laois County Council back in 2017 to build a photovoltaic solar farm in Bigbog, Coolnabacky south of Portlaoise.

It was granted despite multiple local objections over the large size of the farm. 

They got permission for a Distribution Network Operator substation, transformers and storage batteries along with the ground mounted solar panels.

Now called East Laois Solar Farm Ltd, the recent planning approval was for an underground cable to the new substation, changing the plans for their own substation and other equipment.

The substation’s construction was planned to start last spring, with EirGrid claiming its purpose is to secure future electrical supply in the region.

The case is due to be decided by An Bord Pleanála by October 21, 2024.