Solar farm sought to support Laois sawmill

A Laois sawmill is aiming to secure a sustainable future by constructing a solar farm. 

Bernard Nolan and Adrian Donoghue have applied to Laois County Council for permission to construct and operate a two hectare photovoltaic solar farm at Lea/Clonanny, Portarlington. 

They plan to put the solar panels on ground mounted frames and require a switch room building and fencing for the development. The plans include landscaping and the undergrounding of cables at the solar farm which would run to the proposed switch room and then to the existing substation of a sawmill. 

A planning report lodged with the application cites the Laois Development Plan 2021 - 2027.  

“In the current county development plan Laois County Council have set out their aims and objectives for facilitating the development of solar farms throughout the county. Section 4 of the plan specifically relates to this development, and outlines climate mitigation objectives for the period 2021-2027,” the report notes. 

The report states that: “The proposed development is arguably more sustainable than large scale solar farms due to the development’s close proximity to Bracklone substation… The development is a substantial move towards a sustainable future for the sawmill operation who have already invested significantly”  in a modern facility which they said was “not a big multi national.”

They said “accompanying assessments have been carried out to assess the potential negative impacts of the proposed development on the receiving environment and receptors such as road users and existing residential developments. The general outcome from all the assessments carried out is that the development will not it will not result in a significant or adverse change to the existing landscape or environment in the location.” 

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Laois County Council is expected to make a decision on the proposed development by August 30.