Lack of national guidance on solar farms as Government unveils rural planning reforms

Independent New Ross councillor Michael Sheehan has welcomed the Government's new rural planning reforms but is questioning why similar national guidance has not yet been introduced for large-scale solar farm developments.

The comments come as Housing Minister James Browne announced new planning measures aimed at bringing greater consistency and certainty to one-off rural housing applications.

However, Cllr Sheehan said the same level of clarity is urgently needed for renewable energy projects, particularly in light of the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed solar farm at Gusserane.

"If national guidelines can be introduced to provide consistency for rural housing decisions, then the same approach should apply to solar farm developments," he said.

"We are still waiting for clear national guidance. Councillors need certainty when these applications come before them, rather than dealing with them on an ad hoc basis."

The issue has been at the centre of political debate in Wexford for several months following an application by Gen7 Renewable Energy for a 121.5-hectare (300-acre) solar farm at Gusserane near New Ross. The proposal prompted significant local opposition, with residents forming the Gusserane Community Action Group and raising concerns over the impact on agricultural land, biodiversity and the rural landscape.

Earlier this year, Wexford County Councillors called on the Government to introduce national planning guidelines for solar farms while also examining whether changes could be made to the County Development Plan to give local authorities greater control over where large-scale renewable energy projects are located.

Despite those calls, planning permission for the Gusserane development was granted by Wexford County Council earlier this month following requests for additional information during the assessment process. The decision is expected to face an appeal from local campaigners. 

Cllr Sheehan said the Government's announcement on rural housing demonstrates that national planning guidance can provide clarity for local authorities and believes the same principle should now be applied to renewable energy developments.

He said clearer national rules would give councillors greater certainty when making planning decisions while ensuring consistency across the country.

The Government's new rural planning reforms are designed to simplify and standardise planning decisions for people seeking to build homes in rural areas, but Cllr Sheehan believes similar certainty is now needed as communities continue to grapple with large-scale solar farm proposals across County Wexford.