Huge windfarm planned in Laois contravenes zoning map

Nine out of the 13 huge wind turbines just announced to be planned near Portlaoise are outside of Laois County Council's planning wind map for areas suited for windfarms.

Coolglass wind farm is planned by multinational company Statkraft, on Fossey Mountain and Wolfhill, close to Timahoe village and 11km from Portlaoise.

Each of the 13 would be some 180 metres tall, six times as tall as the national monument that is Timahoe round tower.

Just four are in the 'open for consideration for wind' zone in the Laois County Development Plan of 2021 - 2027, seen as the yellow zones in the map below. The rest are in the pink zone south of Timahoe village. None are in the green 'preferred areas' for windfarms in Laois.

A map of the proposed windfarm supplied in the planning application.

The planning application will however bypass Laois County Council planning office, going direct to An Bord Pleanála because it is designated as a strategic infrastructural development.

All Laois County Council can do is send a report from the CEO John Mulholland to give the views of councillors and the local authority.

Portlaoise Municipal District councillors were given notice of the plan formally at their September meeting.

Cllr Willie Aird asked if there are masts or turbines planned, and were there wires.

He was informed by the council official that it was wind turbines and wires between them are to be underground.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald asked for a map to be given showing exactly were the turbines will be on the Laois wind map.

Cllr Barry Walsh asked if there is a maximum number of turbines allowed in an area, with others planned nearby. He was told by the official that there is not, and that Laois has a target it must meet to provide renewable energy.

The plan is to be discussed in detail at the full Laois County Council meeting on Monday morning, September 25.

The councillors along with all members of the public, have until October 23 to submit comments to ABP.

Tall windfarm planned near historic Laois round tower village

The windfarm is in the townlands of Fossy Upper, Aghoney, Gorreelagh, Knocklead, Scotland, Brennanshill, Monamantry, Coolglass, Crissard, Kylenabehy, Monamanry, Brennanshill, Knocklead, Aghoney, Timahoe, Carrigeen, Ballygormill South, Money Upper, Hophall, Rathleague, Ballymooney and Rathbrennan.

They would be 700m away from the nearest house, and is promised to generate enough electricity to power 60,000 homes.