Queries concerning the type of overhead power cable, the position of a wind speed indicator, and where the toilet in the switchroom might be sited, are just a few of the reasons a decision on the controversial windfarm has been put back by up to six months.
The council’s primary query invites Gaeltech, the Cootehill, Co Cavan-based firm “to address the apparent incompatibility of the proposal with the Department’s criteria...which states sufficient distance must be established in order to avoid dominance by wind energy developments”.
There are 251 houses within one kilometre of a Gaybrook turbine and the nearest property to one will be 370m, or a quarter of a mile away.
At the moment, best practice worldwide suggests the optimum distance one could live from a turbine of this size varies from 600m to 2.4km.
In the week a decision was formally due on the project, Westmeath County Council’s planning department unsurprisingly made 32 requests this Wednesday for further information from Gaeltech, who now have until September 24 to submit its replies, otherwise the application is deemed invalid.
However, as most of the queries are technical in nature and none refer to any of the core complaints of the Midland Wind Turbine Action Group (MiWTAG ), such as perceived health concerns, light flicker, and noise, it is believed this request will delay rather than stop the €25m project.
A fortnight ago, the council received over 300 concerns on the project, the majority of which were believed to be orchestrated by MiWTAG, and this week returned to the developers with its list of concerns.
The council is curious as to the apparent contradiction on different pages in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS ) that the overhead lines bringing the new electricity to Mullingar are 38Kv on page five but 110Kv on page seven, and it invites Gaeltech to clarify this.
Also in the EIS, the council notes the applicant stated a number of sites in the county were assessed but believes “the EIS does not contain sufficient consideration of alternatives...please submit proposals to address this issue”.
The council would also like Gaeltech to submit photo mock-ups of the turbines from the point of view of all the houses - existing and planned - within 500m of a projected turbine.
