Big Wind Turbines near Family Homes ?

templeville

Hello,

My neighbour is planning on erecting a massive turbine very close to my home, what are the regulations surrounding this?

Can I object, if so who to?

Thanks

db

He will have to lodge a planning application for it. You will then be able to make a submission outlining the reasons you don't want it there. Those reasons have to be based on planning law and show how his plans are in breach of the law, county development plans etc. There is no point in just saying you don't want it there. You will need to research the minimum distance allowed between a turbine and the nearest house for example.

muffler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120255380#Comment_120255380

Could also be exempt from planning depending on a couple of factors

imp1

Setback distance of 500m minimum required, should be picked up by the planning section in the council, but probably worth making sure they don't miss it. This setback is for noise purposes, there could still be shadow flicker and other issues, even with more than 500m setback. EIA probably not required for a single turbine. I can't imagine planning permission not being a requirement, but open to correction.

Yellow_Fern

Investigate if your area is where you might get thinks like white tailed or golden eagles or red kites. The turbines tend to kill them

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058284773/big-wind-turbines-near-family-homes

Define "massive" and "very close". As Muffler says, it may be exempt from planning depending on a variety of factors.

SI 235/2008 sets out some of the exempted developments. Different size limits apply depending on whether it's to be constructed on light industrial/business, agricultural, or dwelling. https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2008/si/235/made/en/print

I'm guessing you're it will be on an agricultural holding:

"1. The turbine shall not be erected on or attached to a building or other structure.2. The total height of the turbine shall not exceed 20 metres.

3. The rotor diameter shall not exceed 8 metres.

4. The minimum clearance between the lower tip of the rotor and ground level shall not be less than 3 metres.

5. The supporting tower shall be a distance of not less than:

(a) one and a half times the total structure height (including the blade of the turbine at the highest point of its arc) plus 1 metre from any party boundary...."

So unless your neighbour is planning to erect the turbine either higher than 20 metres or closer than 31 metres to the boundary, you're pretty much out of luck on the legal side of things.

If your neighbour already has planning permission and the window for objections/appeals has already past, you're probably also out of luck on the legal side.

Best approach is generally to just go and have a chat with your neighbour about it. If your neighbour is an a-hole, it's not going to make him more of an a-hole. But he might be willing to relocate the turbine a bit if you ask him nicely. Nothing to be lost by it.

Also worth remembering that regardless of the law, it's usually better if your neighbour doesn't hate you (and that cuts both ways in fairness). Going the strongarm route & quoting regulations etc isn't going to win you their friendship, so best keep that as a plan B or C...