Westmeath’s councillors are “frustrated, disappointed, and angered” that the Minister for the Environment is going ahead with a process aimed at overturning restrictions they had placed on windfarm development in the county.
In a letter to Minister Coveney this week, councillors spoke of their frustration that their “local democratic mandate to act in the interests of the citizens of Westmeath is being usurped by your proposed action”.
“In our view, the people of Westmeath have spoken and do not want large-scale industrial windfarms erected on the rolling countryside of this county... In addition there are serious concerns in relation to the potential impact of wind energy developments on tourism potential, property, and the heritage assets of County Westmeath.”
The letter also outlines councillors’ concern at the delay in the finalisation of the Government’s ongoing review of the Wind Energy Guidelines 2006, which they say is “long overdue”, having commenced in 2013. They add that they feel opportunities for alternative renewable energy projects such as solar are available in Westmeath and should be fully explored.
The letter is in response to a direction from the Minister which effectively overturns a variation they had made to the County Development Plan which would place certain limits on windfarm development.
Minister Coveney is directing the council to delete the variation, which aims to impose a night time noise limit of 30db, define equine facilities as noise-sensitive receptors, and designate Area 7 of the wind development map - an area to the east and northeast of Athlone - as an area of low capacity.
A two-week period of public consultation on the Minister’s direction ended on Tuesday (June 14 ), and CEO of Westmeath County Council Pat Gallagher now has a further two weeks to put a report together for the Minister summarising the submissions received. By Monday morning around 200 submisisons had been received from members of the public.
The councillors’ submission also reflects concerns raised at Monday’s council meeting (June 13 ) that the costs involved in processing variations in relation to wind energy policy is “wasteful of scarce public resources”, and that additional variations are likely to be tabled by the members.
“The Minister’s intervention represents another attack on the democratic process and on local government resulting in the role of the councillor being further marginalised. The clear wishes of the people of Westmeath in this matter, as expressed by their elected representatives, must be respected,” concludes the letter.
