• Significant property devaluation

  Studies commissioned by developers minimise, dilute or dismiss losses in property values (generally by widening the survey area to 5km or 10km from the site) and do not even consider the home owners’ significantly reduced options for selling in the future due to a reduced pool of buyers because of the development i.e. deterred buyers -those who would have otherwise put in an offer but for the proximity to wind turbines.  Distance from a wind development and line of sight are key factors that determine the loss in value of each affected property. A resident within 1 km of a two-phased industrial wind development in Oweninny, Co. Mayo, recently told us her property devalued by 66% after the first phase in her area and by 100% after the second phase!

  A Canadian court found a 55% loss in property value for an equestrian property in close proximity to a wind development.  See the Read More Section of this site for details. In Denmark, property owners are compensated for every 1% loss in their property values, as a result of wind developments.  Here in Ireland, local County Councils receive hundreds of thousands of Euros annually, for every renewable development they grant, while property owners suffer up to hundreds of thousands of Euros in losses individually, as a result of those same developments. 

  As a community, our combined property losses will be in the millions of Euros - without compensation.

• Loss of property rights

For those properties unfortunate enough to be along access routes, or within 720m (2362ft) of the site, future planning permissions for their families for the next 30 years+ will be impossible, even though they own the land. Again, this is a form of dispossession, not seen since the penal laws. Its effects will be felt in perpetuity by rural landowners and their descendants in Ireland. These turbines put a stranglehold on the community’s ability to sustain itself and will drive out future generations.

•  Prospect of further industrialisation of the Coppenagh Gap

The RWE development is one of at least three ‘‘renewables’ projects currently proposed in the valley within 2km (1.2mi) of the RWE site, potentially totaling 1,000+ acres. This would lead to the complete industrialisation of this one-mile radius of the Valley; all without any land re-zoning process required.

• Environment destruction during construction

The environmental impact of a multi-year construction project in the middle of a unique upland, with the attendant tonnes of concrete, materials, construction machinery and traffic, will destroy valuable habitats and impact rivers, water courses, wildlife, birds, trees, hedgerows and livestock in the valley. These impacts are minimised or discounted by the use of EIAR (Environmental Impact Assessment Report) commissioned from multiple third-party consultancies in the pay of the wind developers. Scrutiny of these highly technical and expansive EIARs , developed over months or years, is limited to five weeks and expected to be carried out by the community or resource-constrained county councils.  

• Ongoing health and wellbeing issues

Settlements have been won by those who have suffered severe ongoing adverse health effects as a result of living in close proximity to industrial wind turbines in Ireland. See The Irish Times report (“Siblings who became ill next to wind farm settle case” linked here). Noise, shadow flicker and infrasound effects are real, and have detrimental effects on humans and livestock within 2km (1.2mi) of these installations.

• Tourism own goal

These industrial turbines are to be sited in the Coppenagh Gap, Kilkenny’s second highest upland area (after Brandon Hill) and a county landmark. This is a popular domestic and international tourist area and visible from five counties. This will scar the beauty of the area for county residents and visitors attracted to the area for hill walking, cycling, canoeing, fishing, sightseeing, driving and horse riding.