Planning sought for 15 mega turbines in historic West Offaly area

Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables have submitted a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) for a proposed 15-turbine Wind Farm in Lemanaghan, Offaly.

The wind farm will have an installed capacity of 90MW – enough to be able to power the equivalent of up to 65,700 homes annually and displace over 56,000 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions each year.

The planning application was submitted by Lemanaghan Wind Farm DAC, a 50:50 joint venture between co-development partners Bord na Móna (BnM) and SSE Renewables, to ACP for assessment as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID).

“If consented and delivered,” a statement from the wind farm company said, “Lemanaghan Wind Farm will provide more of the homegrown, secure and affordable clean energy Ireland needs while supporting jobs and investment in the region.”

The proposed wind farm is located on an area of Lemanaghan Bog in north-west Offaly, near the communities of Ballycumber, Ferbane, and Pollagh. The infrastructure footprint is expected to cover less than 5% of the development site. The project comprises 15 onshore wind turbines with a blade tip height of up to 220 metres. A new 220kV substation to connect the wind farm to the electricity grid is also proposed.

The plans submitted also propose enhanced amenities in the area for community use and increased accessibility. These include the creation of new walking and cycling trails throughout the wind farm site.

“Lemanaghan Wind Farm,” continued the company's statement, “has been designed following a constraint led design approach, and engagement with the National Monuments Service, to avoid and minimise potential impacts on known archaeological, architectural and cultural sites. A detailed Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted as part of the planning application. Members of the public are encouraged to review the report and to share their views as part of the planning process. The submission of a planning application for the proposed wind farm follows an extensive period of consultation since 2021 with residents and neighbouring communities. Feedback from this process has helped inform the final proposed design of the wind farm.”

The company said it's expected that delivery of the proposed project will bring significant and long-term economic, environmental and social value to the Midlands. During construction, it is anticipated up to 120 jobs will be supported at peak delivery, creating significant supply chain opportunities for local contractors and service providers in the region. During the operational phase, the company also pointed out, the wind farm will continue to provide an economic boost to the region through local spend as well as annual contributions in commercial rates payments to Offaly County Council.

A Community Benefit Fund will be established upon Lemanaghan Wind Farm entering commercial operations. Payments from the Community Benefit Fund will be made to support good causes in the locality and region.

“The design of Lemanaghan Wind Farm,” said Ghislain Demeuldre, Head of Onshore Projects Ireland at SSE Renewables, “has been strongly guided by extensive engagement with the local community and detailed environmental assessments. We are pleased to bring forward a planning application that reflects this input at a time when accelerating Ireland’s supply of clean, secure and affordable renewable energy has never been more important.”

“Bord na Móna remains committed to delivering renewable energy while meeting our responsibilities as a landowner and neighbour,” said Brendan Kelly, Head of Commercial, BnM. “Our approach continues Lemanaghan’s role of delivering indigenous sourced energy while applying BnM’s integrated land use where wind energy, biodiversity, heritage and public amenity co-exist. This is a key project that will displace imported fossil fuel consumption and improve long term energy affordability for customers”.

Members of the public can view and download the planning application and supporting documents including the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) at a dedicated website, www.lemanaghanwindfarmplanning.ie. Copies of the application and all supporting documents can also be viewed at the offices of An Coimisiún Pleanála, the headquarters of Offaly County Council and in Ferbane Library for a period of seven weeks commencing 7th April 2026.

Bord na Móna says it's “a leading renewable energy provider supporting Ireland’s journey to net zero by delivering secure, renewable energy at scale for businesses across the country. As part of the company’s plans for the future, Bord na Móna has updated its brand to BnM, reflecting the company’s future focus while also recognising its legacy. Working with its landbank, strategic partners and local communities, BnM is building a 5GW pipeline of sustainable energy systems, including wind, solar and biomass projects – with the aim of enabling industrial and economic growth, while protecting our environment for generations to come. BnM has been serving communities across Ireland for over 90 years, and today it continues to support business and local communities, not only by safeguarding renewable energy supply, but also through its dedicated social and innovation initiatives including - community benefit funds, amenities, business accelerator programmes and education supports.”

SSE Renewables is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy generation, focusing on onshore and offshore wind farms, hydro-electric power and flexible storage technologies. It is part of electricity infrastructure company SSE plc, a FTSE-100 company with operations across the UK and Ireland, and a presence in selected international markets. SSE Renewables is also involved in the delivery of the world’s largest offshore wind farm in construction, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm. SSE Renewables operates some of the leading onshore wind farms in Ireland including the 174MW Galway Wind Park in Connemara and the 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park outside Derry City.  

In response to this news the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage & Conservation Group released a statement expressing their “serious concern and frustration”.

The statement said local people first became aware of the application not through direct engagement, but through headlines in local newspapers, “which were clearly informed in advance. This was followed by the erection of site notices across the bog today, Friday March 27 and only later — at approximately 4:45pm — an email from the developers confirming that the application had been submitted.”

They pointed out that this sequence of events has raised significant concerns within the community about the level of transparency and engagement from the developers.

“In addition, the site notices direct members of the public to a website where the planning application can be viewed. However, this website is currently password protected and inaccessible. At the same time, the developers have stated that the application documents will not be available for public inspection until 7 April. This means that, despite the application being formally submitted and publicly advertised, local residents are currently unable to access or review the details of the proposal.”

The Group wants to know:

- Why is the information not available immediately upon submission?

- Why is the website listed on the official notice inaccessible?

- Why were local residents not informed directly in advance, while media outlets appear to have been?

“There is growing frustration locally at what is perceived as a continued lack of meaningful engagement with the people most affected by the proposed development.”

One local representative commented: “People living here should not be reading about major developments in their own area through media headlines before being properly informed. The fact that the website provided is inaccessible only adds to the sense that this process lacks transparency.”

The Group also pointed out that serious questions remain regarding the planning status of historic peat extraction activities on the lands. It is understood that substitute consent applications relating to peat extraction by Bord na Móna have yet to be fully determined by An Coimisiún Pleanála. The community is therefore questioning how a new large-scale development can proceed through the planning system when the planning status of previous activities on the same lands remains unresolved. The Group is pointing to recent high-profile enforcement cases, including the dwelling in County Meath that was demolished following a High Court order due to the absence of proper planning permission. “If this is the level of enforcement applied to individual homeowners,” asks the Group, “there is a strong view locally that the same standards must apply equally to all. There is growing concern that a semi-state company is being allowed to advance a major planning application on lands where previous development has not yet been fully regularised through the planning system. The community is asking how this can be justified, and whether consistency and fairness are being applied to all.”

The Group said the Lemanaghan community is calling for:

- Immediate public access to all application documents;

- Clear communication on the consultation timeline;

- Genuine and timely engagement with local residents going forward.

“This is a significant infrastructure proposal with long-term impacts on the area, and the community expects to be treated with openness, respect and transparency throughout the planning process.”

Speaking to The Midland Tribune, Cllr Seán Maher said he agrees with the points being raised by the Lemanaghan Group. He said there are a number of pressure points in Offaly and the wider Midlands where local groups are strongly opposed to proposed Wind Farms. He said local authorities such as Offaly County Council would, in the past, have been the planning authority for developments such as Lemanaghan but now they are being bypassed and the applications are going straight to ACP. It is another example of the centralisation of powers in the Irish political system. Cllr Maher said it's very concerning that the worries and opinions of local groups such as Lemanaghan are obviously having a lessening impact on the outcomes of these issues. The Councillor pointed out that new legislation introduced in 2024 was a change in planning laws and gave more powers to large wind farm companies. “That needs to change,” he remarked, “and we also need to see new wind farm guidelines. The current guidelines are not fit for purpose.” He added that in the Offaly County Council Development Plan Lemanaghan is designated for wind farm development. It's very unlikely that the Council will change that designation.

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