The famous Hill of Uisneach, ten miles west of Mullingar and five miles from Ballymore, is listed for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it remained under threat this week – from commercial wind turbines – with Westmeath public representatives and its local authority executive at loggerheads again over the interpretation of a draft directive issued by Environment Minister, Simon Coveney.
The Minister has made it clear in recent days, according to Fine Gael’s Deputy Peter Burke (who met him personally last Wednesday), that his draft directive to the Council did not refer to their plan to designate Area 7 of the Wind Energy Map (in which the Hill of Uisneach is located) as an area of low capacity. However, the Westmeath CEO, Pat Gallagher, was reluctant to accept this claim when it was raised again by Cllr. Andrew Duncan at Monday’s Council meeting. Cllr. Duncan had a copy of documents from Minister Coveney, which were sent to Deputy Burke.
The Council differences of opinion have arisen, it appears, from the way in which the Council executive interpreted and advertised what the Minister sought to have deleted from the Council’s County Development Plan, 2014-2020. The executive says it did what the Minister sought, while public representatives say an unintentional mistake was made.
Officials interpreted the Ministerial draft directive at the previous Council meeting as meaning they were also to delete designation of Area 7 on their Wind Energy Development Map, as an area of low capacity, but Cllr. Duncan and the other members did not accept this, and the debate continued for a lengthy period at the last meeting, with several adjournments.
(Area 7 is a stretch of land which goes across Westmeath in a north-easterly direction from Fardrum through areas like Moate, Mount Temple, Drumraney, Ballymore and Moyvore, almost to Ballynacargy – and is close to the Hill of Uisneach.)
The Council CEO, Pat Gallagher told members that what was advertised was as the Minister intended, but Cllr. Duncan and other members disagreed.
Mr. Gallagher claimed they had done exactly what was required by the Minister and said they had checked with the department before their notice was published.
WITH MINISTER
When Peter Burke, TD spoke to Topic on Monday, he said he had been out to Uisneach at the weekend, with Cllr. Duncan and Cllr. Tom Farrell, and they met the landowner, David Clarke. At the time, a busload of Spanish tourists were visiting there, with other separate tours of the hill.
“The Hill of Uisneach is a big attraction, and of great significance in terms of ancient Ireland, but Mr. Clarke said that while they are hoping to see it accepted as a world heritage site, he wondered what was the point in spending money, if it was going to have wind turbines in view, disfiguring the ancient landscapes,” Deputy Burke said.
Mr. Clarke had showed them the visual effect turbines would have on Uisneach views.
Deputy Burke said he had met Minister Coveney last week and asked him about the directive he signed. “The Minister made it clear to me that the aspects which concerned him were in regard to proposed noise limits, as these were considered too restrictive. He had no issue regarding designation of Area 7 as an area of low capacity.”
Deputy Burke said on Friday, he had been forwarded a copy of the letter sent by Minister Coveney to the Council CEO on 20 May, and a copy of the draft Ministerial Direction.
In the cover letter sent on Friday to Deputy Burke, the Minister’s Private Secretary, Niamh Redmond, stated: “Further to our telephone conversation, I confirm that the Minister is clear that the only change is in relation to noise, in relation to wind turbines.”
The Council had proposed that “in order to protect human health and the quality of life of the population,” they should incorporate into the County Development Plan, “a night-time noise limit of 30db of Lnight outside from wind energy developments” to include a decibel limit on night- time noise emissions from turbines and also, that “registered equine facilities be regarded as noise sensitive receptors.”
The Minister informed them that their noise limit plans were not acceptable.
At Monday’s Council meeting in Mullingar, the additional information obtained by Deputy Burke was advanced, and it was argued that they should not mislead the public, but the CEO, Mr. Gallagher insisted that the issue still needed to be clarified.
Eventually, it was decided on the proposal of Cllr. Tom Farrell, seconded by Cllr. Duncan that in order to get clarification and finalise this, a delegation go to meet Minister Coveney.
