John Malone. Photo: Getty
A Co Kildare stud farm owned by US billionaire John Malone has got a fresh opportunity to prevent contentious plans for a new power plant from getting the green light.
An Bord Pleanála had granted planning permission to Strategic Power Projects Ltd for the 212MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Dunnstown near Two Mile House in rural Co Kildare in September 2022.
However, following a High Court judicial review challenge taken by local residents which resulted in the court recently quashing the grant of permission, the case is now back before the appeals board with a decision due to made by August.
The High Court action was taken by Two Mile House Says No and Eleanor Wauchob against the appeals board decision and, as part of the order remitting the case back to the appeals board for fresh consideration, the court ordered the appeals board to pay the plaintiffs’ costs.
The appeals board has now asked Kildare County Council to make fresh observations on the case as the board re-examines the merits of the appeal lodged by Mr Malone’s Clementville Ltd against the proposal and the first party appeal by applicants, Strategic Power Projects Ltd.
The 2022 grant by An Bord Pleanála overturned a decision by Kildare County Council to refuse planning permission in 2021 for the lithium ion storage facility after several of the country’s leading stud farms had lodged objections against the proposal which is located two kilometres south of Two Mile House and five kilometres from Kilcullen.
Those to oppose the power plant included the Aga Khan’s Sallymount and Gilltown studs, John Malone’s Castlemartin stud, the Irish National Stud and the Irish Thoroughbred Horsebreeders’ Association.
The largest landowner in the US, Mr Malone’s MHL Hotel Collection owns a string of major hotels here while his Liberty Global owns Virgin Media Ireland.
In the Clementville Ltd appeal, Ann Mulcrone of Reid Associates contended that the proposal “would be incompatible development located within the heart of the equine industry in Kildare and adversely impact on the operation of the stud farm at the Castlemartin Demesne”.
However, appeals board senior planning inspector Hugh Mannion found in 2022 that the proposed development “has minimal capacity to give rise to environmental impacts on the equine industry”.
