Planning application for Lemanaghan wind farm "in coming months"

As opposition continues across West Offaly to plans for the construction of a wind farm in Lemanaghan Bog, the joint developers of the project have confirmed they are currently preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) as part of the planning process.

BnM and SSE Renewables, have stated their intention to lodge a planning application for the proposed Lemanaghan Wind Farm project with An Coimisiún Pleanála “in the coming months.”

In a statement issued to the Offaly Independent this week, the joint developers described Lemanaghan Wind Farm is part of BnM and SSE Renewables’ “joint venture partnership which will potentially deliver 800 MW of new onshore wind energy across multiple wind farms - equivalent to the average energy required by approximately half a million Irish homes per annum.”

The statement added that, since the Lemanaghan Wind Farm project first launched in 2021, the project team and its community liaison officer “have engaged with the local community on an ongoing basis,” including though public information events and meetings, and the creation of a dedicated project website, as well as house visits to neighbouring residents.

Despite the ongoing engagement with the local community, however, there still remains strong opposition to the project across West Offaly, with the members of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group continuing to voice their opposition to the project, including staging peaceful protests outside public information clinics over the past year.

The lobby group delivered a formal letter of opposition to the joint developers of the project in August 2024, in which they reiterated their “firm opposition” to the proposal for 15 wind turbines of up to 220 metres in height on Lemanaghan Bog and called for “genuine consultation” with the local community on the future use of the bog.