Decision made on Laois rural community's appeal against solar farm

A rural Laois community group has failed in its latest planning appeal to prevent a new solar farm and its connection to a high voltage electricity substation.

The Ratheniska, Timahoe and Spink Action Group had appealed to An Bord Pleanála to overturn approval given by Laois County Council last May 2024.

That approval was to the East Laois Solar Farm Ltd, for alterations to a planned solar farm, largely its connection to the new  Coolnabacky 400kv electricity substation being built by EirGrid.

The solar farm covering a vast 48.4 hectares was granted a 10 year planning permit in 2018, to applicant Lightsource Renewable Energy Ltd, despite multiple local objections.

The RTS community group had previously lost multipal legal appeals against EirGrid's planned substation, now under construction. They held an ongoing site protest for several years to physically stop construction, going back over a decade. 

Their concerns centre around the belief that the high voltage station will turn their rural landscape into an industrial electrical hub for multiple new wind and solar farms, and pose a threat to the public water supply if the oil stored there were to leak.

On January 8, 2025, An Bord Pleanála issued its decision on their appeal on the amendment of planning permission for the solar farm, Reg. Ref. 17532 to replace a permitted Distribution Network Operator (DNO) substation with an Air Insulation Switchgear (AIS) substation, construct an underground cable to provide a tail fed connection to the permitted 400kV Coolnabacky Substation (An Bord Pleanála Case Ref. PL11.VA0015) and all associated site development works.

It says the development "would not seriously injure the amenities of the area, would not be prejudicial to public health, would be consistent with the Climate Action Plan 2024, and would therefore be in accordance with proper planning".

The board says it is satisfied that the plan "by itself, or in combination with other plans or projects would not adversely affect the integrity" of the River Barrow and River Nore Special Area of Conservation, or any other European protected site.

It says that having studied all assessments, "there is no reasonable scientific doubt as to the absence of adverse affects".

The Coolnabacky substation is part of an upgrade of ESB lines between Kilkenny and Portlaoise, which EirGrid say is necessary to ensure future electricity supply.

Last December, EirGrid was granted permission to upgrade powerlines between the Coolnabacky station and Portlaoise power station.