Greenhills, Rhode, Co. Offaly

Amendments to the development permitted under Offaly County Council Planning Register Reference 20/494 to: (i) revise the layout of the permitted development including solar array and inverter/transformer units; (ii) increase the height of the permitted solar array from 2.914 metres to up to 3.3 metres; (iii) provide for variable spacings between the solar array rows; (iv) provide for varying solar array tilt-angles; (v) alter the design of the electrical inverter/transformer units and reduce the number of electrical inverter/transformer units from 27 no. to 14 no.; (vi) revise the alignment of approximately 250 metres of existing on-site access tracks and construct approximately 7,500 metres of access track; (vii) relocate and redesign the permitted battery energy storage system compound including an increase in the compound footprint from approximately 3,850 square metres to approximately 10,100 square metres; (viii) alter the design of the battery energy storage system and increase the number of battery energy storage system and ancillary containers from 38 no. to 83 no.; (ix) alter Condition No. 6(b) to provide for the planting of screening vegetation at the end of the construction phase; (x) alter Condition No. 5(a) to provide for the decommissioning of the development no later than 40-years from the date of commissioning; and, (xi) all associated site development, drainage, access and reinstatement works. This planning application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement (NIS)

A 10 YEAR PERMISSION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN EXTENSION TO THE PERMITTED SOLAR PV AND BATTERY STORAGE DEVELOPMENT PERMITTED AT SRAH, GREENHILLS AND WOOD, RHODE, CO. OFFALY PERMITTED UNDER PLANNING PERMISSION REFERENCE: 20/494. THE EXTENSION WILL COMPRISE ADDITIONAL SOLAR PANELS ON GROUND-MOUNTED FRAMES, 6 SINGLE STOREY ELECTRICAL INVERTER/ TRANSFORMER UNITS, THE OMISSION OF THE SECURITY FENCING ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN BOUNDARIES SHARED WITH THE BOUNDARIES OF PLANNING PERMISSION REFERENCE: 20/494, ADDITIONAL BOUNDARY FENCING ALONG THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN BOUNDARIES, POLE MOUNTED CCTV CAMERAS AND ALL ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY DEVELOPMENT WORKS ON A 22.92HA SITE. THE OPERATIONAL LIFESPAN OF THE SOLAR PV DEVELOPMENT WILL BE 35 YEARS. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) WILL ACCOMPANY THE PLANNING APPLICATION

A 10-YEAR PERMISSION. THE DEVELOPMENT WILL CONSIST OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF: 1. A SOLAR PV DEVELOPMENT ON A C.132 HA SITE CONSISTING OF SOLAR PANELS ON GROUND-MOUNTED FRAMES, 27 NO. SINGLE STOREY ELECTRICAL INVERTER/ TRANSFORMER UNITS, SECURITY FENCING, CCTV SYSTEM WITH POLE MOUNTED CAMERAS, UPGRADING OF EXISTING ACCESS, LANDSCAPING AND ALL ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY DEVELOPMENT WORKS; 2. AN ENCLOSED BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM COMPOUND ON A C.0.385 HA LOCATED WITHIN THE SOLAR PV DEVELOPMENT SITE CONSISTING OF 18 NO. BATTERY STORAGE UNITS (EACH WITH ASSOCIATED CONTAINERISED STEP UP TRANSFORMER), 1 NO. CONTAINERISED CONTROL ROOM AND 1 NO. CONTAINERISED SWITCH ROOM AND ALL ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY DEVELOPMENT WORKS; AND 3. A TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION COMPOUND ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING ACCESS. THE OPERATIONAL LIFESPAN OF THE SOLAR PV DEVELOPMENT AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM WILL BE 35 YEARS. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) WILL ACCOMPANY THE PLANNING APPLICATION