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A proposal to create Northern Ireland’s largest wind farm on a site in the Sperrin Mountains has been rejected by Northern Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon.
The SDLP minister made her decision after a four-day public inquiry last September and a recommendation for rejection from the Northern Planning Appeals Commission.
2,160 complaints were received in relation to the application, of which 2,153 were objections.
The Doraville wind farm proposal involved the construction of 33 wind turbines comprising 10 turbines with a maximum tip height of 136 m (446 ft) and 23 turbines with a maximum tip height of 149 m (489 ft). The site is 12 km west of Draperstown in Co Derry.
“This refusal was a finely balanced decision in which I had to weigh the various benefits against the damage to the local area,” said Ms. Mallon.
‘Considerable damage to the landscape’
The minister said that she was a “great advocate of renewable energy”, but that “in this case 33 wind turbines would cause considerable damage to the scenic interest of a large part of the Sperrin area of exceptional natural beauty and its archaeological, cultural and cultural uniqueness. tourist goods “.
Ms. Mallon added: “The PAC [commission] The report indicates that the scale of the proposal and the sheer magnitude of the associated change have the potential to detract from the local people’s sense of place and connection to the land. My goal is to improve people’s lives, not increase their burden. Therefore, taking into account all this and in accordance with the recommendation of the PAC, I have decided to reject this request. “
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