Solar energy and battery proposal for Crookedwood

A plan for a 215-acre solar farm and battery storage facility at Gartlandstown, Crookedwood, has angered locals who say the area for which the facility is proposed is prime agricultural land that could be used for food production.

Residents say they that until a planning notice was placed in this newspaper, they had no prior knowledge of the proposed development on the 87-hectare site, which is located just outside the village of Crookedwood on the Castlepollard side, east of Lough Derravaragh and the historic Knockeyon Hill.

Representatives of Neoen Renewables Ireland Ltd, the company responsible for the planning application, called to homes in the area once the planning notice was published.

It is understood that Neoen, leading renewable power producers and energy integrator, intend to lodge the application with Westmeath County Council this week.

On Thursday of last week, 25 people from the locality held a meeting in the Castle Varagh Hotel in Castlepollard, to discuss the plans.

“People are not happy: it’s a massive shock because this was the first we heard of this development. We are planning to form a committee. We’ve set up a WhatsApp group and we’ve had hundreds of messages about this already. We are planning to hold another meeting on Monday night,” said a spokesperson for residents in Gartlandstown.

Planning application

The application seeks permission to build a solar farm and battery project, with an operational lifetime of 35-years; the current application will consist of a 10-year planning permission for the solar energy development, comprising photovoltaic solar panels on steel mounted frames; electrical inverters, and electrical power stations. Once operational, sheep grazing will commence onsite and co-exist with the solar farm.

The plan also includes a containerised battery energy storage facility, underground electrical and communications cabling, and the upgrade of the existing site entrance, as well as the development of a new site entrance. There are on-site access tracks included in the plan, as well as a temporary construction compound, security fencing and security gates, pole-mounted security cameras and all associated and ancillary site development, landscaping and reinstatement works. The application is accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Report.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased, at the offices of Mullingar Municipal District, County Buildings. Submissions or observations can be made to the planning authority within a five-week period beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.