Council planners reject plan for windfarm in scenic Mayo location
Plans for a controversial windfarm in North Mayo have received a setback after planners at Mayo County Council recommended that the project be refused planning permission.
Councillors unanimously welcomed the news at their monthly meeting last week with Killala-based Cllr Jarlath Munnelly calling on the Government to put the draft wind energy development guidelines on a statutory footing. He also asked Mayo County Council to revise its renewable energy strategy, which is "significantly out of date", adding that planning decisions based on such out-of-date policy are "dangerous".
Constant Energy Ltd, a company based in Co Limerick, had proposed to erect 16 wind turbines in clusters on a 120-hectare site near Killala and Ballycastle. The council's senior planner, Brendan Munnelly, said the local authority held pre-planning consultations with the applicants in 2023 and made it known it was not in favour of the development, mainly due to the visual impact on the scenery in such a scenic location as well as the proposed development’s proximity to Ballycastle, the Wild Atlantic Way, Downpatrick Head, the Céide Fields and residential areas. Mr Munnelly said the council would be recommending that An Coimisiún Pleanála refuse the application. The planning appeals commission is due to make its decision before September 26, 2026.
Cllr Jarlath Munnelly thanked the planners who had worked with him over the past year on this issue and said he was completely against the proposal because it had the potential to cause huge damage to the community in North Mayo.
Cllr Annie May Reape said the proposed location was an area of scenic beauty now coming into its own with the Wild Atlantic Way and it was not the right place for the proposed turbines. Belmullet-based Cllr Gerry Coyle agreed, noting that his own area of Erris was already over-run with wind turbines, adding: “I have turned my back on these windmills. We have enough, we are powering Dublin and the east of the country and have nothing for the people living here 365 days of the year. I'm all for green energy, but we have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to North Mayo.”
While there was unanimous support for the planners' decision, Westport-based Cllr John O’Malley said Mayo "needed to get on board with wind energy generation".
“I meet people who come from all over to visit this county and they cannot understand why we are not harnessing the wind and have more turbines generating electricity. If we are serious about it, the council should go around and pick locations, even in the sea, but no matter where you put them, someone is going to see them.
"We have to get a programme in place so we know where they can be allowed and where there is a chance of getting planning permission and we need to do it fast or we will close down the West of Ireland because you can’t live on scenery."
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
