Company appeals Offaly planning refusal to An Bord Pleanala

A Cavan energy company has appealed a decision by Offaly County Council to refuse it planning permission for 12.5km of electricity transmission line from the Cloghan Wind Farm substation to the existing electricity substation in South Offaly.

The plans were initially submitted to Offaly County Council last year but were refused in recent weeks. The company, Galetech Energy Developments, have since appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala.

The lines would be split between underground and overground cables, with the majority, 8.5km of the lines going underground between the townlands of Stonestown and Clondallow.

The lines were due to cross the N62, R439 and L70152 public roads. Underground infrastructure would be located within private lands and within these roads. They would be installed in excavated trenches of approximately 1.2m in depth and include underground ducting, joint bays, communication chamber bays, sheath link boxes and inspection chambers.

The works would also involve drilling at the railway crossing along the N62. The 3.7km of overground cables would consist of three powerlines suspended from wooden poles with a maximum height of 16 metres.

The application was submitted along with an environmental impact assessment report (EIAR), and environmental impact statement (EIS).

The council's refusal of the plans centred on the safety of the road network nearby and its junctions.

In its refusal letter, the council stated: "It is council policy STAP-17 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2014-2020 to protect the safety, capacity and efficiency of national roads and associated junctions."

"It is considered that the applicant has not sufficiently demonstrated that the proposal will not have an adverse impact on the safety, capacity or operational efficiency of the national roads network in the vicinity of the subject site, given the risks of differential settlement along the N62."

"It is therefore considered that the proposal would materially contravene Policy STAP-17 as it would adversely impact on the capacity and efficiency of National roads, and therefore would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."

An Bord Pleanala is due to make its decision on the appeal in July 2019.