KILDARE County Council has refused planning permission for a €100 million solar farm due to the potential impact it could have on the equine industry, reports Gordon Deegan.

In the case, the Council has refused planning to the Portlaoise-based EEL Mullacash Solar Ltd for the 105MW solar farm across 318 acres of land 4km from Naas.

The Council has turned down the scheme, after concluding that the scheme would seriously impact on the equine amenity of the area and would impede the equine industry to flourish and be contrary to policies in the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029, aimed at protecting the equine industry.

Ceann Comhairle in the last Dail, Seán ó Fearghaíl TD and local residents, along with stud farm owners, raised concerns over the planned solar farm for 30 fields of agricultural land that is currently used for pastoral farming. The Council received over 50 objections and, in his submission, Deputy ó Fearghaíl told the council that “the concerns of local residents and stud farm owners are not without significant justification”.

The Kildare South Fianna Fail TD stated: “To concentrate three large solar farms in one small geographical location and on top-class agricultural land, seems to me to be an initiative that is hard, if not impossible, to justify.”

Deputy ó Fearghaíl pointed out that the Kildare County Development Plan “has always given special protection to the bloodstock industry”.

The Council planning report stated that the County Development Plan does support renewable energy production in rural areas and this has to be balanced with other policies.

The planners stated that a true and reasonable balance has not been achieved in this case and that the proposal would have a significant and negative impact on a sensitive location within the county.

The Council also refused planning permission, as the scheme sought to be located on lands identified as ‘Irish wetlands’ and the proposed development fails to protect the biodiversity of this wetland and would therefore contravene materially the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029.

In their objection against the solar farm, Flemington Stud operators, David and Miriam Valentine told the council that this large scale development “is not compatible with the equine industry in the area”.

They stated: “We live on a farm that breeds thoroughbred national hunt racehorses. We have many neighbours that also breed thoroughbred horses. The income from the sale of these horses is vital for the successful running of the farm.”

They added that “a quiet and calm environment is essential for the successful breeding of these sensitive animals, and we accredit this environment to the longevity of our stud farm.

“Horses are more sensitive to noise than humans, particularly thoroughbreds… We are concerned about the noise levels from this potential development at construction and operational stages.”

The developers now have the option of appealing the ruling to An Bord Pleanala.

In 2021, Kildare County Council rejected plans for a 320-acre solar farm near Punchestown, but the developers won their appeal to An Bórd Pleanala.