Developers appeal Laois border wind farm refusal

ROUND two in the fight against a wind farm on the Laois/Kilkenny border is underway, after developers lodged appeals with An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Seskin Renewable Energy Limited lodged the appeals last week, following refusal of planning permission for the wind farm by local authorities in both counties last month.

The NotoSeskinWindfarm action group will hold a public information evening at 8pm this Friday 17 October at the Castle Arms Hotel in Durrow, as the campaign against the large development continues.

The action group said last Thursday that, despite ‘strong refusals’ from both Kilkenny and Laois Co Councils, the developers have lodged appeals against both decisions. The group is asking people to make submissions against the development. The closing date for submissions is Monday 27 October, with further details available on the action group’s Facebook page.

The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee said on social media: ‘With the strength of local support and opposition, we are ready for what comes next.’ The public meeting this Friday will be attended by public representatives and experts and will include an overview of the plans, together with advice on lodging submissions.

The county councils’ refusal of the Seskin Windfarm application in early September followed major opposition on both sides of the border, including the communities of Durrow, Cullohill, Lisdowney, Ballinaslee and Ballyragget.

The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee held a number of packed public meetings in opposition to the project and staged big demonstrations on both sides of the border over the August bank holiday weekend.

The wind farm plans included the construction of eight ‘mega’ turbines with a tip height of 175 metres, a rotor blade diameter of 150m and hub height of 100m, along with a substation and a 100m meteorological mast.

The company had said the project would power 36,000 homes. They were seeking a 10-year planning permission and a 35-year operational life from the date of commissioning.

The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee, with community representatives on both sides of the Laois-Kilkenny border, said they were concerned about the environmental and health impacts of the proposed project on people living in the area, which stretches from Ballyragget to Durrow.

The action committee is one of a number of groups across the midlands that have protested against large wind farms in their communities.

Last year, the Government promised that new planning guidelines for wind farms would be introduced by the end of the year but they have not materialised. Guidelines regarding wind farm energy date back to 2006, pending finalisation of an ongoing review.

Seskin Renewable Energy Limited is a subsidiary of Atlantic Infrastructure Renewables (AIR), an Irish-owned company based in Co Limerick.

An Coimisiún Pleanála is due to make a decision on the planning appeals by 3 February 2026.