Laois village to hold public meeting following shock announcement of wind farm development
Cullohill has previously been deemed unsuitable for a wind farm, due to its protected areas
A public meeting will take place on Tuesday to discuss a proposed windfarm for Cullohill.
Local man Roger Day has lived on Cullohill Mountain for over 27 years, and has organised this public meeting to raise awareness on the proposed windfarm.
Politicians on local and county levels are expected to attend. along with concerned residents.
An 80 acre windfarm has been proposed for on top of Cullohill Mountain, an area protected by Special Area of Conservation under the European Union Habitats Directive.
Pictured: A Bord Na Móna windfarm under construction
“One of the grounds of refusal for this area was that these turbines were adjacent to an SAC, special area of conservation,” Mr Day explained.
“We were surprised to see a pamphlet circulated locally with information on a newly proposed development on the mountain. These large international companies can decide the future of our areas.
“I’m unimportant, I am just one person with one house. How I feel is a single fact- if we allow this to go on, it will decimate an area of outstanding natural beauty.
"An area with the finest views in the county. It will decimate the pubs, the farms and all local tourism. It will devalue properties, and for what?" Mr Day asked.
"I am not against wind farms, I thin k there should be wind energy. But there are plenty of other places this wind farm could go,” he said.
“We are saying not in our backyard, because it is special, it is a Protected Special Area. Our community is at stake,” Mr Day said.
Currently, Laois has two wind farms: Bruckana Wind Farm in Baunaghra, and Gortahile Windfarm hear Kilgorey in the south east of the county.
This public meeting on the proposed wind farm in Cullohill will take place at 8pm in Cullohill's Community Centre, with all invited to attend.