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Irish Wildlife Trust lodges objection to Bord na Móna windfarm in Co Longford

An outcome on the planning application for the 24-turbine windfarm is expected in July.

THE IRISH WILDLIFE Trust has lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanála over plans to develop a windfarm with 24 turbines in Co Longford. 

An application submitted from Bord na Móna to develop the plant at Shannon Wilderness Park had previously come under fire from residents in the local community over potential noise pollution.  

Now the IWF has also criticised the project, claiming the proposed location was at odds with the local biodiversity in the area and would have a negative impact on tourism.

“The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala against Bord na Móna’s proposed Derryadd 24-turbine wind farm in the heart of the proposed Shannon Wilderness Park in Co. Longford,” a statement said. 

“The IWT is not opposed to wind energy generation, which is necessary to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, but we are increasingly concerned that turbines are being inappropriately located, especially on peatland habitats.

“The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) indicates that no less than nine red-listed wintering bird species, six species listed on Annex I of the Birds Directive, and seven red-listed breeding species are potentially impacted by this project.

“These include some of our most threatened breeding birds such as Curlew, Golden Plover and Lapwing.”

The proposal is currently being reviewed by inspectors at An Bord Pleanála with a review expected by 16 April and a final decision by 31 July.

“We’re very disappointed that the hard work and hopes of local communities for the Shannon Wilderness Park are being swept aside by Bord na Móna in their pursuit of this wind energy project,” IWF campaigns officer, Pádraic Fogarty said. 

“There’s a huge opportunity in creating a distinct and unique identity for this part of Longford, something people would travel from far and wide to experience,” he added. 

A spokesperson for Bord na Mona was unavailable when contacted by TheJournal.ie. 

Residents in Longford also submitted a collective objection to An Bord Pleanála yesterday.

Local Fine Gael councillor Micheál Carrigy said “there is no doubt that fear is there and that’s why there was a comprehensive submission give to An Bord Pleanála”.

“We had a number of meetings because we had plans to identify the region as a wilderness park and return it back to its natural habitat and create tourism for the county,” he said.

“Your talking about turbines as high as the spire. They say there won’t be noise but you’re pouring concrete into slabs and then creating road in what is natural bogland.

“It belongs to the people of the area and we had plans for it so we’re staying over it,” he added. 

 

 

 

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    Mute Wesley Conboy
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:07 PM

    Irish people seem far too keen to object to positive developments such as wind farms or data storage centers! Nimbism

    137
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    Mute Michael Reilly
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:19 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: One quango objecting to another quango.

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    Mute Humphrey Harold Haddington
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:26 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: I live close to a wind farm, 14 turbines they are very noisy. But me and my neighbours put up with it as we don’t have a choice. I would advice any one that is in an area where turbines are going to be build to sell up and leave the area before its too late. The only plus side to having turbines close to your home is you pay the lowest LPT rate as your house is worth very little because banks wont lend money to anyone who wants to buy a house close to turbines as if the banks have to take the property back they will find it hard to sell on.

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    Mute Simon O Flaherty
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:56 PM

    @Humphrey Harold Haddington: Where abouts are you harold? What Db level are we talking here?

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    Mute Humphrey Harold Haddington
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:49 PM

    @Simon O Flaherty: im in North wexford. I am 700 meters to the first turbine, The db levels are notting crazy 45 to 70 depending how close you live and how windy it is. Living close to a motorway would be similar. The problem is the high frequency/pitch its such a consent unrelenting never ending noise. Un like a motorway that has different pecks of noise levels and different sounds that break it up. Wind turbine noise is a heavy white noise that rings through your ears when you try to sleep, even when you put in ear plugs you can still hear it as it is a very high frequency……

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    Mute Billy Davies
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:55 PM

    @Humphrey Harold Haddington: maybe if we put a few of them in South Dublin that’ll solve the property crisis there??

    11
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    Mute Humphrey Harold Haddington
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    Mar 28th 2019, 10:01 PM

    @Billy Davies: Pat Kenny is alway on about how good they are maybe start with a few beside his gaff!

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Mar 28th 2019, 10:46 PM

    @Simon O Flaherty: THICK QUESTION, He can hear the turbines so you need not be so smart as to question Db levels.
    How blue is the sky

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    Mute Kevin Farrell
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    Mar 28th 2019, 11:13 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: No, not NIMBYism. More like not in our Wildlife Reserve. When red-listed (I.e. highly endangered) species are gone, there is no replacing them. Also, the project would involve paving parts of bogland. Completely in appropriate to site them there.

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    Mute aidan mccormack
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:05 PM

    F bord na mona. They have flat out refused to engage with local communities and dont seem to care about the local environment

    76
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    Mute Wesley Conboy
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:12 PM

    @aidan mccormack: bord na mona contributes millions to local clubs and centres around mount Lucas wind farm in offally so I doubt they will offer nothing to locals there in longford

    28
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    Mute Nichola Ní Bhradáin
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:26 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: Locals aren’t just the human population. We need to consider all who live in and depend upon an environment.

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    Mute aidan mccormack
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    Mar 28th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: what do you do in bord na mona wesley. I’d call that hush money

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    Mute sly dog
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    Mar 28th 2019, 6:28 PM

    @Wesley Conboy: bord na móna definitely doesn’t contribute millions to local clubs for one wind farm? They are not printing money

    11
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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:15 PM

    @Nichola Ní Bhradáin: Yes, that’s the point. Most peat bogs are heavily degraded. As people don’t want to live near them, they help minimise development. The bogs get a chance to regenerate a bit. Insects, small mammals, most birds and plants couldn’t care less. Our carbon emissions get reduced. All in all, a positive development.

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    Mute Eon Cocker
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:11 PM

    So it says in the article that the proposed site is a Wilderness Park. But in the quote from Counciller Carrigy he says: “we had plans to identify the region as a Wildlife Park and return it back to its natural habitat and create tourism for the county,”

    But they didn’t. So it is in fact not a wildlife park, nor is it protected by anything other than the selfish attitudes of the inhabitants that live there.

    39
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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 5:33 PM

    @Eon Cocker: selfish? You buy ground get a mortgage build your house ,. 5 years down the road they build their massive turbines 500 m from your house, your house worth now close to nothing but you still saddle with the mortgage, how is that selfish? Are you supposed to seat on your hand and take it ? Should we not build that where there is no one or at least not allow dwelling to be built if it’s a wind recognized area ? Put yourself in the shoes of those people and see .

    61
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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:17 PM

    @William Bayle: If people didn’t think they had a de-facto right to build wherever they wanted, we wouldn’t have this problem. No other country allows the level of inappropriate rural one-off housing that we do.

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:20 PM

    @George Salter: well then don’t allow them to build there in the first place ,but it’s not fair on people who got planning permission and mortgage to get there house value down to zero because a wind farm decided to build in the back garden , at least compensate them properly at the minute you get 700€/ year towards your electricity bill doesn’t really make up for a worthless house does it ?

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    Mute Jaycee Laycee
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:30 PM

    @William Bayle: Nail on the head. Well said.

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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 28th 2019, 8:00 PM

    @William Bayle: Most planning zoning restricts this. Most local councillors overrule this, from public pressure. Have you any idea how much influence rural interests have, especially when a completely disproportionate number of county councillors are involved in property, whether legally (conveyancy) or sales (auctioneers, landowners..). The horse has bolted, and people are now finding that that horse is kicking things during its escape…

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:48 PM

    @George Salter: if the planning zone has been overruled how is that the fault of the local resident? That zone become unsuitable for building wind farms ,you can’t just let people building and then whipe their house value off . Or should we all get out of rural and come to the town’s and city ? Probably not because there is no houses there .

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    Mute Eoin Scanlon
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:56 PM

    @William Bayle: if you built. You have no plan on selling. So why the worry about house price? It’s a house to live in.

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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Mar 28th 2019, 11:35 PM

    @George Salter: am I missing something – is there actually a plentiful supply of affordable family homes available to purchase in urban areas?

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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 29th 2019, 1:16 AM

    @Thomas Sheridan: Irrelevant to the point. But, since you ask: No. Why? Because the same bloody councillors won’t approve policies allowing for highrise, proper densities or pretty much anything that might cost a Nimby vote. Fundamentally, much of our suburban stock i indistinguishable from rural houses… a front and back garden, too much distance from the adjoining house, and, possibly related, chronically bad building standards and designs.

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    Mute Olan Marten
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    Mar 28th 2019, 6:40 PM

    Nobody seems to realize that sacrifices have to be made and I’m bloody sure that turf harvesting made a lot more noise.

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:17 PM

    @Olan Marten: they don’t dig turf at 2 in the morning now do they , also no problem of shadow flicker with turf . Sacrifice my back side , if you re going to devalue someone house down to worthless then compensate them properly aka pay for the remaining of the mortgage now that sounds fair.

    31
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    Mute Karl Charlie
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    Mar 28th 2019, 8:40 PM

    Bring in renewable energy…but not in my back garden, new runway at dublin airport… But not in my back garden, direct provision centres… But not in my back garden, injection centres to keep drug use off the streets… But not in my back garden, the irish are a bunch of moaners

    24
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    Mute Catalanista
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:13 PM

    Do tourists even visit Longford? I would live beside a windfarm, I wouldn’t have a problem living with them 500m away

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:28 PM

    @Catalanista: off you go plenty bargain to grab there
    , Don’t impose it on any one else toh

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    Mute Catalanista
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:35 PM

    @William Bayle: They aren’t even that loud from a distance. I’ve neighbours who are more annoying. I’ve been to the top of one, it’s as noisy as an old Massey 165.

    It seems to happen with everything in Ireland, there is always someone complaining and nothing gets done, we can’t continue burning turf/coal/oil forever. If we want a future with clean transport, we need clean energy. (although production of solar panels/wind turbines aren’t as green as they seem)

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 7:51 PM

    @Catalanista: well then you need to compensate people properly for the lost value of their houses . Not their fault planning permission was given to build there house but then the such house get devalued to zero . If you want that area either compensate them or buy the house back .

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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 28th 2019, 8:01 PM

    @William Bayle: Then people should be taxed on any gain made in property price from beneficial development, too.

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 8:03 PM

    @George Salter: they already are no ? LPT ?

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    Mute George Salter
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    Mar 28th 2019, 8:53 PM

    @William Bayle: So, then compensation at .25% of price loss? Don’t be silly.

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    Mute William Bayle
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:44 PM

    @George Salter: so by your logic going to an estate agent it’s like going to the bookies? You checked than your house was sound no default,not in a flood plain either but you can just loose your investment because planning has just been made a ball of ? Or you can just triple it up if luck is looking after you ? Don’t be silly.
    By the way why is it than we have the smallest buffer between residences and wind turbines in Europe ? 500 m ? It’s 1 km in France , 1.5 km in Germany.
    No I don’t agree you can not just go randomly around the country side and decide than you destroy the investment of this family or that one .

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    Mute Chessie Cat
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    Mar 29th 2019, 4:49 AM

    No talk of the data centres swallowing up 20% of our electricity so Chessie can store the lastest selfie with his Cat!

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    Mute Matthew Gallagher
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    Mar 28th 2019, 11:28 PM

    In the same day, one article on objecting to oil and gas exploration – as we should be going green – And another article on objecting to wind energy. #onlyinireland we want it all without the hard decisions and here we are being critical of our UK neighbours. Throwing stones in glasshouses.

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    Mute pat seery
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    Mar 28th 2019, 9:49 PM

    Where were the I W L T when B NA Mona were taking peat and sod turf from the bogs They seem to be Fifty Years behind

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    Mute Matthew Gallagher
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    Mar 28th 2019, 11:28 PM

    In the same day, one article on objecting to oil and gas exploration – as we should be going green – And another article on objecting to wind energy. we want it all without the hard decisions and here we are being critical of our UK neighbours. Throwing stones in glasshouses.

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    Mute Owen Energy
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    Mar 29th 2019, 6:15 PM

    We must save the environment by destroying it

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