Following a recommendation to approve the planning application by Mid and East Antrim Council in November 2021, the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) called the application in. Subsequently, DFI has recommended a Public Inquiry is carried out and we await an Inquiry programme from the Planning Appeals Commission.
Following a public consultation event held at Carnalbanagh Primary School in May, a full planning application for seven turbines was submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on xx June 2017.
The redesigned scheme would have an installed capacity of 24.6MW, comprising 7 turbines, each with a maximum tip height of 125m.
The planning application and related documents and correspondence are available to view on the Planning Public Access website. A hard copy of the Environmental Statement can be viewed at Broughshane Library, Main Street, Broughshane, BT42 4JW.
Following detailed consideration of the PAC decision for the 10 turbine scheme submitted in May 2015, we have redesigned the scheme to take account of the landscape and visual concerns upheld by the PAC. A PAN has been submitted to Mid and East Antrim Council and a public consultation event to review the amended scheme will take place at the end of May to obtain feedback from the local community on the proposed revision. Specific details will be advertised locally.
All feedback obtained from the event will be considered in detail before finalising the details of the proposal in preparation for submission of a formal planning application to Mid and East Antrim Council Planning Department.
Planning permission for ten turbines was refused by the Planning Appeals Commission on 6th June 2016. We are very disappointed with the decision and will review it in detail before considering next steps.
The site is located approximately 11 kilometres east of the town of Broughshane, 7.5 kilometres south west of the village of Glenarm and 1 kilometre to the north west of the hamlet of Carnalbanagh. The local population includes the small settlement of Carnalbanagh and there are a number of single dwellings and farmsteads scattered across the countryside, predominantly to the south, south west and south east. The lands within the site vary between 200m AOD on the western boundary and 285m AOD on the peak of Kane’s Hill. A second local peak known as Slievenamona is located on the south western edge of the site and rises to a maximum elevation of 260m AOD.
The proposed scheme would have an installed capacity of 28.5MW, comprising 10 turbines, each with a maximum blade tip height of 126.5m and a hub height of 75m. Access to the site will be taken from Lough Road for all turbines with the exception of turbine 5 which will be accessed via Kilnacolpagh Road.
The proposal was developed following a long period of Environmental Impact Assessment, including a Public Exhibition and discussions with local representatives, culminating in the submission of a planning application in May 2014 accompanied by a full Environmental Statement.
This project supports National and EU objectives for promoting renewable energy development and achieving the Northern Ireland target of 40% of electricity supply to be generated from renewable sources by 2020. With an installed capacity of 28.5MW, the Carnalbanagh Wind Farm proposal could generate 110 million kwh of clean, green electricity per year, enough to supply 34,610 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by 50, 564 tonnes.
Additionally, ABO Energy Northern Ireland Ltd is dedicated to ensuring that its wind farms contribute directly to local communities therefore a Community Fund would be established for the entire lifetime of the wind farm development.
The planning application and related documents and correspondence are available to view on the DOE Planning Public Access website. A hard copy of the Environmental Statement can be viewed at Broughshane Library, Main Street, Broughshane, BT42 4JW.
If you are interested in any further information or would like to speak to us about the proposal, please contact Tamasin Fraser at:
ABO Energy Northern Ireland Ltd.
Unit 1 Wallace Studios
Wallace Avenue
Lisburn
BT27 4AE
Phone: +44 (0) 28 9099 6445
Email: ni(at)aboenergy.com
