In all over 70 objections have now been lodged against a €30m Tipperary Solar Farm scheme granted permission by Tipperary County Council.
The solar farm was expected to produce in the region of 25 Megawatts of renewable energy, same sufficient, if fully achieved, to power 6,406 homes per year.
Some 26 parties are now appealing the council decision to An Bord Pleanála, with the Larry Goodman owned organic meat producer, “Good Herdsmen” understood to be one of these parties appealing.
Just last month, Tipperary County Council granted planning permission to a company known as “Renewable Energy Systems” for this development. Same is situated at Rathduff, Thomastown Demesne, South Co Tipperary, within 3km of Bansha village and 7.5km east of Tipperary town. Planning permission was granted after Tipperary County Council’s project planner concluded that it would not have any adverse impact on the character of the area or indeed on any adjoining properties in the vicinity of the development.
Not surprisingly, the founder and Managing Director of the ‘Good Herdsmen’, Mr John Purcell, who operate’s a 350-acre organic farm adjacent to the proposed site of this solar farm has claimed, in an objection, that the planned solar farm will indeed have an adverse effect their business.
Managing Director Mr Purcell has stated that the solar panels proposed would have the potential to cause a catastrophic visual impact on the area and would ruin the image that nature and his own organic farm have created, thus killing the vision of everything he has established todate. He claims that the promoters of this solar farm propose to metamorphose 107 acres of Golden Vale land, latter the richest farmland in Europe, into what he calls “a sea of plastic and metal panels”.
ABP’s organic beef brand, “Good Herdsmen” operating their factory in Cahir, currently employ 20 personnel with a further 6 employed on its organic farm, toiling on its day to day operations.
Others to appeal this County Council decision include:- South Tipperary Solar Farm Concern Group; Margaret Kennedy; Caitriona Bn Ui Annraghain;, Caroline and John Bourke; Denis Pollard Jnr; Maria Bailey; Michael & Mary Joyce; Chris Bailey;, VESI Environmental Limited and Carol, Emma and Daisy Welsh.
A decision on this appeal is expected by the end of August 2022.
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