Panacea Health Research

This post outlines the number and nature of planning applications for utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects submitted to local planning authorities in the Republic of Ireland during 2019. A total of 45 valid planning applications were submitted, an increase on 2018 figures but less than half of the number of applications submitted in 2017 and 2016 respectively.

Notwithstanding the lower level of activity in the pipeline, the site area of the projects coming forward for planning permission has increased.

The most notably example is JBM Solar Developments Ltd’s application for a 260 hectare project in County Westmeath (Plan Ref: 196168). This project was granted planning permission by Westmeath County Council in early November 2019. This grant of permission was subsequently appealed to An Bord Pleanala by third parties on the 22nd of November (Case Ref: PL25M.305992). This project, if the grant of planning permission by the local authority is upheld by An Bord Pleanala, would be the largest project granted planning permission to date. Excluding the application above, the average site area of projects for which planning permission was sought in 2019 was 30.86 hectares, up from an average site area of 19.2 hectares in 2016.

In addition to the above project, Bord na Mona Powergen and the ESB’s 200 hectare project in County Kildare (Plan Ref: 181514) made its way to An Bord Pleanala in 2019 (ABP Ref: PL09 .305953). Kildare County Council refused planning permission for this project on the 22nd of October, with the applicant lodging a first party appeal of this decision on the 18th of November. The application was received by Kildare County Council in December 2018.

The decision status of the planning applications submitted to local authorities in 2019 (as of January 6th 2020) is outlined in the table below.

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