Opposition mounts in Erris to new windfarm

There are calls for a North Mayo community to make their voices heard on a windfarm proposed for the area.

The Belmullet tourism organisation, visitbelmullet.ie, has urged the community to make submissions to An Coimisiún Pleanála on a proposed windfarm in Erris.

RWE Renewables Ireland is seeking to develop a windfarm consisting of 13 wind turbines with a capacity of up to 86MW in an area located approximately 11km west of Bangor Erris and approximately 4km north of Geesala.

The study area for the proposed Muingmore project comprises lands at Muingmore and Doolough measuring approximately 455 hectares. The development seeks a 35-year operational life.

The tourism group say the wind turbines for the Muingmore project will impact every person and business in the Erris region.

“Each turbine would reach 180 metres to the blade tip. To put that in terms everyone in Erris knows - the Belmullet water tower is roughly 30 metres tall. These turbines would be six times that height. Thirteen of them, in two clusters, on the skyline above Blacksod Bay.

“They would be visible from Blacksod Point. From Elly Bay beach. From the ferry crossing. From Bangor. From the hills above Belmullet. From the water in the bay itself.

“And they would be there for 35 years,” said the tourism group in a post on social media.

Submissions on the project have to be lodged with the planning commission by July 6 next.

A public meeting in December, organised by Rural West Environmentalists, previously heard community concerns on the project.

The number of windfarm developments proposed for the Erris area has come in for criticism.

“We are building windmills like they are going out of fashion,” local councillor Gerry Coyle told a municipal district meeting recently. “Erris has enough. Nobody is against progress but we will now have the biggest windfarms in Europe. If we are serious about tourism, it is time to say Erris has enough of this kind of investment."