Country's largest broccoli producer and Kildare farmers oppose €168m solar farm
Gordon Deegan
The largest broccoli producer in the country has stated that Government strategy concerning targets for solar farms “is fatally flawed if our food security is threatened by placing solar farms on the best land in the country”.
Paul Brophy’s specialised family-owned farming business, Brophy Produce Ltd, produces 70 per cent of the country’s fresh broccoli needs.
The Naas-based enterprise is one of scores of third parties to raise concerns over plans for a €168 million 140MW solar farm on a 338-acre site at Ballindrum, Co Kildare.
The site for the land currently comprises 16 fields of agricultural land used for both arable and pastoral farming and is located 5.1km northeast of Athy and 2km southeast of Kilmead village.
A total of 86 third-party submissions have been lodged with the council on behalf of Brophy Produce Ltd.
Brophy said, “We (as food producers) do not have a choice but to source the best available land and solar farms do and if they were committed to proper values of sustainability, they would be seeking out the least productive land to site solar farms on it".
A planning report lodged with the application by Ballindrum Solar Ltd stated that the proposed development will generate a range of economic benefits both in terms of its construction and operation, generating jobs for installation, maintenance and its eventual remediation.
The planning report by Neo Environmental states that the solar farm will deliver a significant saving of approximately 57,945 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to equivalent fossil fuel generation, equating to c. 2.3 million tonnes over the 40-year project lifetime.
Neo Environmental stated that an estimated 40,170 homes could be powered per annum, and the solar farm will help Co Kildare fulfil its aims of increased renewable energy production, improve energy security for Irish consumers in a volatile marketplace and provide local economic benefits in the form of rural diversification.
For the landowners concerned where the solar farm will be located, Neo Environmental stated that the solar farm will provide a stable and diversified source of revenue over a sustained period.
In a submission, Labour TD Mark Wall and party colleague, Cllr Aoife Breslin stated that "we support the genuine planning concerns of locals as expressed to us at the public meetings and in subsequent emails, calls”.
Local farmer, Noel Lawler from Killeen, Narraghmore, stated that his primary concern relates to the loss of prime agricultural land.
He said: “The lands proposed for this development represent some of the most fertile and productive agricultural land in Ireland. Converting this land into a solar farm would remove it from food production for at least 40 years, which is effectively a full generation.
He added: “Agricultural land is a finite resource and once it is removed from production it cannot easily be replaced. At a time when there are increasing concerns about food security, sustainable agriculture and supporting local farming communities, it is difficult to justify taking such a large area of productive farmland out of use.”
Beef and dairy farmer, Niall Grufferty from Ballindrum, has also expressed concerns over the loss of productive land from the agricultural catchment.
Kieran O’Toole of Fontstown, Athy, is objecting, contending that “the proposed development spans approximately 137.7 hectares and introduces industrial-scale infrastructure into open countryside”.
A decision is due at the end of this month.
