52-acre Coleraine solar farm approved by Causeway Coast and Glens Council
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has approved plans for a solar farm in Coleraine.
At September’s Planning Committee meeting members approved the planning application, which will see a solar farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and associated infrastructure including photovoltaic panels, mounting frames, inverters transformers, substation, fencing, pole mounted security cameras and associated site access and landscaping near Ballyrashane Road and to the east of Coleraine.
Development Management and Enforcement manager, Shane Mathers, said the farm will occupy a 52-acre site and represents an investment into renewable energy that will “help the North to deliver accessory targets, including 80 percent electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and the target of net zero by 2050”.
“As indicated in the Northern Area Plan 2016, the site is located on the open countryside outside the settlement development limit of Coleraine,” Mr Mathers said. “The Northern Area Plan 2016 is silent on the matter of solar reform development, therefore regional policies apply.
“The closest dwellings are located at Newmills Road and Ballyrashane Road, a noise assessment was submitted and the Environmental Health Department are content.
“A glint and glare assessment shows the proposal to be acceptable, further to mitigation in the form of vegetation along the site boundary.
“The landscape and visual impact assessment (LDIA) presented with the application states that, with the mitigation integrated, moderate and not significant visual effects on properties are predicted during the operational phase.”
An agent for the applicant said assessments of the application demonstrated “no unacceptable impacts associated with the development”.
“It will generate enough for renewable electricity to meet the demands of approximately 11,400 homes every year,” they concluded. “And that in turn would offset approximately 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
“There will be annual rates payment, likely to be in the region of £150,000 per year, and then there’s also going to be a significant capital expenditure during the construction of the project.”