Plans lodged with Cork County Council for solar farm near Cloyne

Plans have been lodged for a 13.6-hectare solar farm on farmland near Cloyne that, if approved, would operate for up to four decades.

BNRG Ballyduff Ltd has applied to Cork County Council for permission to develop the solar farm on lands at Ballyduff.

The proposal includes ground-mounted solar panels, four medium-voltage stations, access tracks, security fencing, CCTV poles, landscaping, and associated site works. 

Access would be provided from the L3630 via a previously permitted entrance.

The application seeks a 10-year planning permission, with the completed solar farm having an operational lifespan of 40 years.

Documents submitted with the application state the development falls under the provisions of the EU Renewable Energy Directive III.

An archaeological assessment carried out as part of the application found no recorded monuments within the proposed development site. 

However, a survey identified four anomalies of archaeological potential, including possible burnt mound activity and a curved ditch, which may indicate prehistoric activity.

To protect the features, the layout of the solar farm has been amended to leave them undisturbed within 20m exclusion zones. The assessment concluded there would be no predicted direct impact on recorded archaeological resources, but recommended targeted archaeological testing before construction begins, along with archaeological monitoring of all groundworks.

Cork County Council is due to decide the application by August 12.

Members of the public have until July 23 to make submissions or observations on the proposal.