By Louise Doyle

LETTERKENNY residents have vowed to fight plans against a proposed gas power station close to Lurgybrack National School.

Geraldine Browne, who has a farm on the adjacent land of the proposed development, is one objecting voice on the grounds of the detrimental impact she says it will have on the locality and wider area.

Mrs Browne has accused the applicant, EirGrid PLC, of ‘sneakily’ lodging the proposed plans with Donegal County Council during the school summer holidays, catching people unawares.

Applicant EirGrid PLC lodged planning permission  with Donegal County Council on July 7 for the development at Listillion, Letterkenny.

Documentation lodged with Donegal County Council set outs EirGrid’s proposed plans for a period of 10 years for the development at the existing Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Networks 110 KV Letterkenny Substation.

A planning notice also appeared in a local newspaper on July 3 setting out that EirGrid, with consent and approval from ESB, intended to apply for planning permission.

Proposed plans comprise southward extension of the existing ESB Networks 110 KV substation compound by 0.9HA, and the construction of a 110 KV gas insulated switchgear building to replace the existing 110KV air insulated switchgear substation.

Plans also consist of the construction of five 110 KV line cable interface masts to the south and south-west of the existing AIS substation compound and proposed replacement GIS building.

A powerline near the station.

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Speaking to the Donegal News, Mrs Browne said she is “very concerned” about the plans, given the close proximity to her home, farms and a school.

“I’m very concerned because this site is beside Lurgybrack School and also Lurgybrack Farm. It’s in a built up area. The gases this power grid will give off are called Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas emissions, which are being phased out in the EU.”

Mrs Browne pointed out that the original power grid at the site was first built in 1959 when the population of Letterkenny was much less compared with today, with Lurgybrack area having “hardly any inhabitants”, unlike today.

She said: “There is an air sub station on the site since 1959. There were about 3,000 people living in the Letterkenny area at that time, so the site was appropriate for that time. But with the passing of time, they are looking to build a new gas station. 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.

“The land at the back of my home is going to be covered in masts.

DESTROY LAND

“The proposed station will be using SF6 gas, a greenhouse gas which is being phased out by EU is phasing out next year. Why would Donegal County Council let something like that into our town and contribute to climate change and global warming? It goes against the regional strategy for the county, it goes against the EU, it goes against all the different environmental papers that have been written.

“The development is not appropriate. Lurgybrack National School is opposite and Lurgybrack Farm is also close by. It will also be close to a lot of houses.

“This development is not wanted. It will devalue our houses and completely destroy the land we have, which we are not going to be able to pass on to our children so that they can build on it.

“We are going to suffer the consequences if these plans are passed through. It will have serious implications for the town of Letterkenny and the whole of Donegal. Lough Swilly is recognised as a vulnerable place for flooding. We have a lot of low laying towns around Lough Swilly including Buncrana and Rathmullan. The site they are building on drains into Lough Swilly.”

Submissions are open until Sunday, August 10. Mrs Browne said she plans to lodge an objection. She said she has also informed neighbours about the plans: “I will lodge an objection. My neighbours knew nothing of the plans. The plans were lodged during the summer holidays which was a very shady thing to do.”