An Bórd Pleanála has confirmed it won’t oppose an appeal to quash its decision to grant planning permission for a controversial data centre in Ennis.
Following the Board’s decision to uphold Clare County Council’s granting of planning permission to Art Data Centre’s proposed development on the Tulla Road in April, an objection was brought forward by five parties to judicial review in May.
In a letter seen by Clare FM, the Board says it won’t oppose the applicant’s appeal largely because the Board “erred in law in failing to consider adequately the environmental effects of the proposed developments on the environment, specifically in terms of impacts on bat fauna”.
Art Data Centres Limited’s original planning application was for the construction a proposed data centre including a 120 megawatt gas powered electricity generation facility and dispatchable electricity generation facility powered by 66 diesel generators.
Also included in the application was a new 110 kilovolt gas insulation switchgear station and two 110 kilovolt underground transmission cables connecting to the existing Ennis 110 kilovolt grid substation.
