Site planning risk brief

An amendment planning application previously granted permission under references PL/17/6028 & PL/17/6224 in the townland of Slanemore, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. The proposed amendments to the previously consented solar farm will include the following: • Provision of a new 38kV on-site substation control building & compound • Reconfiguration of consented solar array to optimise layout • Reconfiguration of internal maintenance/access roads • Provision of a new access from the R393 Regional Road • Adjustments to the red line boundary to cater for the new access and access track

10 year permission, the development will consist of a proposed 4.392MW extension to a planning approval solar farm (ref 17/6028). The proposed extension will comprise of photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames with associated infrastructure including 2 no invertor cabins, temporary construction compound, ducting and electrical cabling, perimeter agricultural fencing, mounted CCTV cameras and internal access tracks.

5 year permission for the construction of an Energy Storage Facility comprising battery containers and associated infrastructure including combined power conversion systems, grid connection compound, electrical substation, transformers and grid compliance equipment, temporary construction compound, ducting and electrical cabling, fencing, CCTV cameras, landscaping and access tracks.

Development which will consist of amending the existing granted application (Planning Reference 18/6215) at this site. The amendment application will consist of permission to amend the design of the approved development (Planning Reference 18/6215) which comprises consent for a Battery Storage Facility. Proposed amendments include; (1) re-location of 3No. Battery Containers, 3No. HVAC units and 3No. Combined Power Conversion Systems and Transformers and (2) the project lifetime is proposed to be extended from 5 to 10 years

Amendment of the design of the approved development (Westmeath County Council Planning Reg. Ref. 17/6239 & An Bord Pleanala Reg, Ref. PL25M.301116) which comprises consent for the development of a ground mounted solar photvoltaic (PV) farm consisting of the following; up to an area of 139,520 m2 of solar panels on ground mounted steel frames within a site area of 46.3 hectares; a fenced electricity substation compound to include 1 no. electricity control building and hardstands for ancillary electrical equipment; 12 no. inverter/transformer stations; underground cable and ducts; internal access tracks and hardstanding areas; boundary security fence; CCTV and all associated site services and works, 2 no. new site access points from the public road, one for construction / decommissioning traffic purposes only, and one for operational traffic. Amendments proposed are optimised Solar PV Panel configuration located within the same areas of the site as previously permitted with the exception of a reduced buffer distance under the existing 110Kv lines from c.56m to c.46 m to comprise up to 252000 square meters of solar panels to allow for solar panel array height increase from up to 2.8m to 3.2m. Modifications and enlargement to the onsite substation and substation compound. The substation will increase in size from c.55 m2 as permitted to c.150 m2 and the substation compound will increase in size from c.700 m2 as permitted to c.1081 m2. Omission of 2 no. inverter/transformer hard standing areas and minor changes of position of hardstanding from the permitted solar development to allow for a total of 10 hardstanding areas which will provide the base for 20 no. inverter and transformer units housed in sound pression containers, Permission is also sought to amend the life span of the consented development from 25 years to 30 years.

The development will consist of a ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) farm consisting of the following; up to an area of 139,520 m2 of solar panels on ground mounted steel frames within a site area of 46.3 hectares; a fenced electricity substation compound to include 1 no. electricity control building and hardstands for ancillary electrical equipment; 12 no. inverter/transformer stations; underground cable and ducts; internal access tracks and hardstanding areas; boundary security fence; CCTV and all associated site services and works, 2 no. new site access points from the public road, one for construction/decommissioning traffic purposes only, and one for operational traffic. Permission is sought for a period of 10 years