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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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People over Wind concerned about wind turbine development
An application to retain a laneway and bridges at a Laois farm has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by a group who have warned that the development may be used to facilitate a future windfarm.
The planning application by John and Seamus Mulhall at Dooary, Cloncullane, Ballyroan had sought to retain the existing farm laneway and associated bridges, and permission for an extension to the existing farm laneway and associated bridges.
The planning application was approved by Laois County Council subject to seven conditions in April. The council stated that the plan was approved in accordance with the plans and particulars received by the planning authority.
“The laneways hereby permitted shall be used solely for the purposes detailed in the approved plans and particulars. It shall not be used for any other purposes. No change of use shall take place without a prior grant of Planning Permission, (notwithstanding the exempted development provisions of the Local Government (Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended). No business, trade or commercial activity of any kind whatsoever, shall take place from the site,” the council stated in a condition.
The council's approval has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by the Laois-based People Over Wind who fear that the application could be followed by turbines at a later date.
In their earlier submission to Laois County Council, signed by Paula Byrne, they raised a number of issues and questioned the future use of the laneway.
“We would respectfully request that Laois County Council request further details on the use of this farm laneway'. We would submit that if the intention is to misguide the planning authority and the public and use this development to facilitate the commercial activity of the windfarm, this application should be invalidated, as it breaches the planning regulations. The proposed development is not described accurately in the public notices and lacking in detail in the planning documents,” they had unsuccessfully argued to the council.
The appeal is due to be decided by An Bord Pleanala by September 4.
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