Offaly Group opposed to mega-turbine Wind Farm outlines concerns

"THE Greater Birr Wind Action Group", recently formed to fight the proposed development of a Wind Farm south of Birr, issued a statement during the Christmas period pointing out a number of reasons why it is opposed to the proposed Ballincor Wind Farm.
In recent years the Birr area has become a focal point for international wind developers, with seven wind farms totalling 72 industrial turbines already granted permission or operating around the town. The Ballincor Wind farm, in the Sharavogue area, will entail the construction of 11 mega turbines.
The group's statement said it would be wrong to think of Ballincor Wind Farm as a minor issue involving just a small number of landowners and residents in one rural pocket of Offaly; as being just an isolated intervention with contained impacts. It is in fact, they said, a large-scale industrial energy project which will impact the wider Birr hinterland, including roads, ecosystems and communities; “therefore we should be paying attention.”
The Group points out that an 11-turbine wind farm is not simply a collection of turbines placed quietly in fields. It is in fact a major civil engineering project, involving extensive ground excavation, kilometres of internal roads, crane hardstands, deep concrete foundations, drainage works, cabling trenches, substations and compounds. The construction phase typically lasts up to 18 months, sometimes longer.
Independent estimates based on Irish Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIARs) suggest that a development of this scale typically involves the excavation and re-handling of over 250,000 tonnes of peat and mineral material, alongside the importation of more than 120,000 tonnes of construction materials — stone, concrete, steel and turbine components. “These are conservative estimates,” remarks the Group statement. “All of this material must be moved, and almost all of it is transported by heavy goods vehicles”, which translates into thousands of HGV movements on public roads, impacting residents commuting to work, parents on school runs, farmers moving livestock and local businesses relying on access. The Group says that Wind Farm works of this nature typically result in road closures, delays, mud and debris on road surfaces, noise, vibration and increased safety risks.
The Ballincor Wind Farm will be very near the Sharavogue Bog Special Area of Conservation (SAC) — a protected European site. “Peatlands are not inert landscapes;” the statement continues, “they are living hydrological systems that regulate water flow, store vast quantities of carbon and support specialised plant and animal species. Disturbance through excavation, drainage and compaction can have far-reaching effects, including altered water tables, habitat degradation and increased flood risk — not just at the immediate site, but downstream. The Ballincor area also forms part of a broader ecological network used by birds, bats and other wildlife, many of which are protected under EU Directives and are of national conservation concern. While EIARs often conclude that impacts can be 'mitigated', mitigation is typically developer-led and dependent on trust rather than independent verification. Recent commentary at EU level has highlighted concerns that many EIARs are overly desk based, rely on minimal on-site survey days spread over several years, and lack independent verification. Michael McNamara, a Co Clare MEP, challenged the Irish Government's wind energy strategy in the EU Parliament last week. He described ‘the environmental subterfuge going on in Ireland’ where huge developers submit an environmental impact assessment report which is often cut and pasted from another report designed for a development in another part of the country. The sloppiness and disregard for the authenticity of even the report should spark controversy and concern. For communities, this raises two fundamental questions: are decisions being made on robust evidence or on optimistic assumptions designed to facilitate consent? When developers promise mitigation and investment in an effort to reduce risk, are communities expected to take developers at their word?”
The Group pointed out that as well as construction and ecology the visual impact of the Ballincor proposal is of regional significance. The proposed turbines would reach approximately 185 metres (600 feet) from ground to blade tip, with blade diameters approaching 160 metres; equivalent to a 60-storey building or 70% of the height of the Eiffel Tower. “These are not subtle structures,” the statement continued. “They are industrial landmarks that will dominate the landscape for decades; visible from miles away, including from Birr, Shinrone, Riverstown and surrounding areas, where ground levels vary only marginally from the turbine base elevations.”
The statement added that, over time, turbine scale has increased dramatically as developers seek greater output and profit, often at the expense of landscape character and visual amenity.
“Loss of landscape quality is not a private issue. It affects tourism, recreation, heritage value and the identity of the wider region. It also raises a broader question: who benefits and who bears the cost? Large-scale wind-farm developments in Ireland are typically owned by external developers or investment funds. Profits flow outward, while community benefit funds, where offered, are modest, discretionary and time-limited. Meanwhile, visual dominance, construction disruption, noise, traffic and environmental risk are borne locally and regionally.
“Perhaps most importantly, Ballincor is not just about Ballincor. It sets a precedent. If a development of this scale proceeds adjacent to a protected bog, with significant construction impacts and reliance on developer-led mitigation, it shapes expectations for future proposals elsewhere in the region. Planning decisions accumulate, and each one alters the baseline against which the next is judged.
“None of this is an argument against renewable energy. Climate action is essential. But climate action that undermines environmental protection, landscape value, community trust and regional infrastructure is not sustainable.
“This is why the Greater Birr Wind Action Group is encouraging people across the region to engage, ask questions and inform themselves. An 11 turbine windfarm application will be submitted by RWE in the coming weeks. If you are interested, want to help, or want to know more, join the Greater Birr Wind Action Group on Facebook which is updated regularly. A public information evening will be held in early January in advance of the expected RWE submission for the Ballincor development.
“This is not just one wind farm and its consequences will not be confined to one place.”

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