There appears to be some alarming concerns regarding the development and installation of wind farms. This as the Kerry County Council says that any future wind farm development should be built one kilometre from any residential property. But the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) says that the zoning methodology would have the potential to limit wind energy development.
The concerns stem from the submission of comments to the OPR on the draft Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028. Despite saying that its policy is to support the sustainable development of wind energy resources, Independent Kerry county councillor Jackie Healy-Rae has criticised the OPR saying that “it should be looking after people first and not criticising the local authority’s plans”.
He claims that “Kerry has been a playground for wind energy companies for decades and now that we in Kerry County Council are seeking to put in tighter controls both wind energy companies and the OPR do not like it as it does not suit their agenda for rural Ireland.”
Kerry produces almost a fifth of the total national wind generation and has a national population of 3%. The councillor says that guidelines for wind farm developments had been “stagnant” since 2006. He adds that such developments have ripped communities apart and that people’s homes cannot be sacrificed for renewable energy.
LSL News.