Wind farm gets green light from planners

Newtownabbey Times

by Duncan Elder

WORK on the construction a 14 megawatt wind farm at Carn Hill near Knockagh is scheduled to get under way next year, it has been confirmed.
Last week, Irish renewable energy company Gaelectric was granted planning permission to construct six 101 metre high turbines on land just off the Slievetrue and Rea Hill Roads.
Carn Hill wind farm, Gaelectric's first in Northern Ireland, will be capable of generating energy equivalent to the average electricity consumption of approximately 8,200 homes on an annual basis.
The company has confirmed that work on the project is due to start in mid 2011, with construction expected to take between four and six months to complete.
Brendan McGrath, CEO of Gaelectric, welcomed the planning approval announcement, saying: "We have been working on planning for a range of sites for a number of years. The Carn Hill approval is very welcome as it heralds the beginning of the execution of the next stage of our development in Northern Ireland.
"It was very helpful over the last several years to be able to deal with the Northern Ireland Executive which was open to the benefits of renewable energy and to finding a solution that would work for the area."
As part of the planning process, Gaelectric completed an extensive community consultation scheme to update local residents on the proposal. And, as part of its commitment to engaging with people living in the area, the company has agreed to set up a locally administered community fund amounting to £210,000 for community projects.
Gaelectric has also committed to spending up to £5 million in construction and operation costs with local companies, providing up to 30 construction jobs during the build period.
As well as providing cleaner, greener energy, the firm also points to the potential use of the wind farm as an important educational resource for local schools.
While the turbines will be visible from some nearby residential areas such as Straid, the Carn Hill project has proven much less controversial than many other wind farm proposals.
Indeed, DUP alderman Paul Girvan, who works for South Antrim MP William McCrea, said that there had been very little opposition to the wind farm.
"There was opposition to the plan when it was first mooted, but I haven't heard of any objections since. According to the feedback we have received, most of the objectors withdrew their objections for one reason or another," he said.