KCC Approves Application To Double The Footprint Of Kildare Solar Farm.

The application was by Harmony Solar Smithstown Limited.

A proposal to double the footprint of an already-permitted solar farm in Kildare has been approved.

Harmony Solar Smithstown Limited already has permission for a the installation of ground-mounted solar panels on an area of 74,172 square metres in Smithstown and Roosk, Maynooth.

It has asked Kildare County Council to permit that to be expanded to 150,000 square metres.

It also wants to increase the height of the panels 2.8m to up to 3.2m.

Kildare County Council has green-lit the application.

The development description is as follows:

"sought to amend the design of the approved development (Kildare County Council Planning Reg Ref 17/535) which comprises consent for the development of a solar photovoltaic panel array consisting of the following: up to 74,172 m² of solar panels on ground mounted steel frames within a site area of 25.04 hectares; a fenced electricity substation compound to include 1 No. electricity control building and hardstands for ancillary electrical equipment; 7 No. inverter/transformer units; underground cable and ducts; internal access tracks and hardstanding areas; boundary security fence; CCTV and all associated site services and works; a new entrance to the public road will be used for construction purposes, the existing access to the lands at the public road will be used for operational purposes. Planning permission is sought for a period of 10 years. Amendments proposed in this planning application are: Optimised Solar PV panel configuration with an increase in the solar panel area from the permitted up to 74,180 m² of solar panels to up to 150,000 m² of solar panels and increase in height of solar panel array from the permitted up to 2.8m to up to 3.2m. The panel area will be primarily located within the same areas of the site as previously permitted with the exception of a decreased buffer distance under the existing 220kV overhead electricity line from approximately 60m as permitted to approximately 36m; decreased buffer distance around the existing 3 No. 220kV pylons from approximately 60m as permitted to approximately 46m; Modifications and enlargement to the permitted on-site substation building and substation compound are also proposed. The substation building will increase in size from c. 80 m² as permitted to c. 150 m² with an increase in height from c. 5.8m as permitted to c. 6.0m and the substation compound will increase in size from c. 700 m² as permitted to c. 1081 m²; Omission of 2 No. inverter/transformer hardstanding areas and minor changes of position of hardstanding from the permitted solar development to allow for a total of 5 hardstanding areas which will provide the base for 12 No. inverter and transformer units housed in sound suppression containers. 2 No. CCTV cameras have also been omitted from the permitted development to allow a total of 5 No. CCTV cameras; Modifications, reduction and realignment of the internal access tracks resulting in the reduction of access tracks from c. 2,130m as permitted to c. 1,650m as now proposed;
Development Address:Smithstown and Roosk,Co. Kildare."