A CONTROVERSIAL plan for a gas power station is set to be opposed again after approval was upheld.
In the long-running case, which the Donegal News reported last year, EirGrid was recently granted conditional planning permission by An Coimisiun Pleanala for a major upgrade of an electrical substation that was built in 1959.
The commission upheld approval that had been granted by Donegal County Council, following objections from local residents.
It means a new 110kV gas building will be built at Listillion in Letterkenny.
State-owned EirGrid is Ireland’s electricity transmission system operator that manages and develops the country’s high-voltage power system under the Department of Environment.
Families near Lurgybrack National School objected to the substation.
CONCERNS
Geraldine Browne has a farm on adjacent land and claimed it would have a detrimental impact on the locality and wider area.
She said: “I’m very concerned because this site is beside Lurgybrack School and also Lurgybrack Farm. It’s in a built up area.”
She added: “The plans are to buy land to extend the compound by 0.9 hectares, and that will be coming right up adjacent to our farm.
“Why would Donegal County Council let something like that into our town and contribute to climate change and global warming?”
She continued: “This development is not wanted. It will devalue our houses and completely destroy the land we have.”
However, the development was approved in August of last year.
That was appealed a month later, but the application was rejected in recent weeks.
Opponents have now vowed to go to the courts to block the development.
One said: “We have lodged a judicial review and I will also be lodging a complaint about [issues that affect] my home, farmland, and community.”
