Planning board receives eight appeals over Clare data centre

An Bord Pleanála has received a total of eight appeals against the Clare County Council’s decision to give the go-ahead to plans for a €1.2 billion data centre on the outskirts of Ennis.

The centre would comprise of six data halls covering 145 acres or 1.3 million sq ft on lands adjacent to the Tulla Road on the eastern outskirts of Ennis.

The council granted planning permission after concluding that the scheme would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area.

As part of its decision to grant, the council has ordered the applicant, Art Data Centres Ltd, to pay planning contributions of €2.137 million.

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However, An Taisce, Friends of the Irish Environment, Futureproof Clare, the Clare Green Party and four individuals- Dr Colin Doyle, Martin Knox, Colin Johnston and Christine Sharp — have all lodged appeals against the decision.

Dr Doyle has called on the planning board to conduct an oral hearing into the application to deal specifically with the issue of climate change and energy policy.

An Taisce said that it recommended the scheme be refused as the project “would require a very significant amount of power, thereby generating a projected 657,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum”.

An Taisce claimed that “this substantial increase in annual emissions contravenes the emissions reduction obligations of the Climate Change Act”.