21st May 2024: Judicial Review Challenge dismissed
ABO Energy Ireland Ltd (formerly ABO Wind) was notified through the Court that the planning challenge against the Ballymanus Windfarm was dismissed. The challenge was against the decision of April 2019 to grant planning permission to develop the windfarm in County Wicklow. ABO Energy is now looking forward to progressing with development of the project.
July 2019: Judicial Review Update
Leave to apply for Judicial Review of the An Bord Pleanala planning decision was granted by the High Court on 24th June.
April 9th, 2019
Planning appeal update: ABO Wind Ireland Ltd received planning permission for the project from An Bord Pleanala in a decision dated April 4th, 2019. The planning application for the project had been refused by Wicklow Co Co on August 28th, 2017.
September 25th, 2017
On August 28th our below mentioned application to Wicklow Co Co was refused on two grounds: its potential impact on the landscape in particular from Listed Prospect no. 54 and: on the overall design, layout and positioning of the proposed entrances and their potential to endanger public safety – see link to the online planning file to find the detailed grounds for refusal at http://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/17814/0
On Friday 22nd of September ABO Wind Ireland Ltd lodged an appeal against this decision to An Bord Pleanala.
July 6th, 2017
ABO Wind Ireland Ltd has applied to Wicklow County Council for a ten year permission for development of a wind energy project in the townlands of Roddenagh, Killaduff, Ballymanus, Preban, Ballinglen & Askakeagh, County Wicklow.
The development will consist of: up to eleven wind turbines with a maximum overall height of 150m to blade tip from existing ground level; a transformer at each turbine; a hard-stand area adjacent to each turbine; a 38kV electrical substation and all associated infrastructure and works; up to two permanent/temporary meteorological mast with a maximum overall height of 100m tip from existing ground level and all associated infrastructure and works; a temporary site compound and all associated works; new site tracks and upgraded site tracks and all associated works; two new access entrance to local road and all associated works; 20kV underground cables facilitating the connection of turbines to 38kV electrical substation and all associated infrastructure and works; land clearance including tree felling and vegetation removal; and all ancillary works. An Environmental Impact Statement accompanies this application.
The Planning Application and Environmental Impact Statement may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow during its public opening hours. The planning application may be viewed online at www.wicklow.ie, under planning online enquiries.
A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.
May 17th, 2017
ABO Wind has been progressing the details of the proposed Ballymanus Wind Farm and will look to apply for permission to Wicklow County Council in June 2017, unless otherwise advised. This is not a statutory planning notice. All statutory planning notices (i.e. site notice and newspaper notice) and other requirements will be complied with in due course.
ABO Wind would like to thank the local community who contributed to the public consultation carried between November 2015 and February 2017. We have worked on the several issues raised and consider these to be address insofar as possible. We are still available to meet stakeholders and residents in the area. Should you wish to meet a member of our project team, please use one of the contacts provided below.
April 27, 2016
The submission of the planning application for the proposed Ballymanus Wind Farm has been delayed due to potential changes to planning regulations regarding the consents required for the connection of wind farm projects to the national grid.
ABO Wind intends to submit full details of the proposed underground grid connection route as part of the planning application. As a result, we will require additional time to finalise the planning application. We will upload further details on the planning application as it progresses.
ABO Wind would also like to thank the local community who contributed to the public consultation carried between November and December 2015. We continue to work on several issues raised and will be seeking to address these insofar as possible.
We are still available to meet stakeholders and residents in the area. Should you wish to meet a member of our project team, please use one of the contacts provided below.
October 15, 2015
ABO Wind Ireland Ltd. (ABO Wind) submitted a planning application for Ballymanus Wind Farm in December 2014. The application was refused by Wicklow County Council. This proposal received a significant negative response and ABO Wind believe that this was at least in part caused by an inadequate public consultation undertaken by ABO Wind in advance of this original application submission.
ABO Wind pride ourselves on being a good neighbour in the areas we work in and, therefore, we wish to conduct a much more detailed and thorough consultation before proceeding with an amended application. With this, we hope to alleviate most concerns and reach a more acceptable and appropriate revised planning application for the community.
We have not set a date for a revised Planning application submission to Wicklow County Council as we intend to consult extensively with the community and further additional work may be required. We will ensure that the local community is kept fully informed in this regard as we progress.
To date, ABO Wind intends to apply to Wicklow County Council (WCC) for a ten year planning permission for a wind energy project comprising:
Each wind turbine will have an overall maximum height of up to 150 meters.
A revised and updated EIS and AA Screening Report will be carried out to consider the impacts of the proposed development in the context of its environment, as well as in the context of any cumulative impacts arising. A crucial component of this cumulative impact assessment will be the proposed route of the grid connection cable (albeit that it will not itself form part of the planning application).
To date, the following significant revisions have been made:
The site area for the purposes of this application will be the same and contained wholly within the red line boundary of the original application.
The proposed development area is located within the townlands of Roddenagh, Killaduff, Ballymanus, Preban, Ballinglen and Askakeagh and access at Ballinglen, Aughrim, Co. Wicklow. The site is approximately two kilometers west of Aughrim Village. The largest town in the vicinity of the site is Arklow, located approximately 20 kilometers east of the site. Tinahely village is located approximately five kilometers south west of the proposed site. Annacurragh village is located approximately two kilometers south east of the proposed site.
Access to the site shall be from Carnew along the Regional Road R747, turning left at Drummin and turning onto the L6304 before turning right onto the L3205 at Ballinglen. The site entrance is located prior to Preban Bridge and connects the site with Coillte land.
The proposed 31.35 MW Ballymanus wind farm could potentially generate 121,319 megawatt hours of electricity per year. This is enough clean green energy to supply 32,000 houses and to reduce CO2 emissions by 52,000 tonnes.
This project supports National and EU objectives for promoting renewable energy development and achieving Ireland’s target of 40 percent of electricity supply to be generated from renewable sources by 2020.
If you are interested in further information or would like to make suggestions, please contact us at:
ABO Energy Ireland Ltd.
Unit 3, Aspen Court,
Cornelscourt,
Dublin 18
Tel: 01 2070452
Email: gary.magee(at)aboenergy.com
Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA): Wind Information
Irish Wind Facts: www.windfacts.ie
Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of the Effects of Wind Energy Facilities on Surrounding Property Values in the United States
Clean Energy Council: Wind Energy
Gary Magee
Tel. +353 1 289 08 45
gary.magee(at)aboenergy.com
As the proposal is partially located in Coillte's Askakeagh, Ballinglen and Killaduff properties, please do not hesitate to e-mail lsinfo@coillte.ie with any Coillte related enquiries.
