23/5486
A 10-year permission and 40-year operation period for a Solar Farm and underground grid connection within an overall site area of 61.08 hectares. The solar farm consists of 330,200 square meters of solar photovoltaic panels on ground mounted steel frames; on-site electrical substation; electrical skids (containing inverters, transformers and switchgear); underground power and communication cables and ducts; boundary security fencing; new internal access tracks and associated drainage infrastructure; new site entrance to the L6965 local road; 10 no. CCTV/lighting posts and all associated site services and works. The development also includes underground grid connection, which is to be installed primarily within the L6965, L2951 and L2963 public roads, this includes the installation of 3 no. underground medium voltage electrical cables, 1 no. fibre communications cable, 2 no. joint bays and associated infrastructure to allow communications and connection between the proposed 38kV on-site substation and the Kilbarry 110kV Substation, Blackpool, Cork City. The total length of the cable is c.4,449m of which c.2,021m will be within the jurisdiction of Cork County Council and c.2,428m within the jurisdiction of Cork City Council. A concurrent planning application will be lodged with Cork City Council for the remainder of the underground cable along the public roads to allow connection to the Kilbarry 110kV Substation in Blackpool, Cork City under Section 34 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (PDA)(as amended).
Core Planning Reasoning
The proposed development was recommended for grant as it is consistent with national and regional renewable energy policies and the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028, and it is considered that the landscape has the capacity to absorb the proposal without significant adverse visual or environmental impacts.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The development is compatible with the Metropolitan Greenbelt zoning objectives, representing an appropriate form of rural diversification and strategic infrastructure.
- Visual and residential amenity impacts, including glint and glare, are deemed acceptable following mitigation measures such as increased setbacks and supplemental native planting.
- The proposal will not prejudice the delivery of the adjacent Monard Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) and is unlikely to result in significant cumulative environmental effects with other solar farms in the area.