Project Information
Overview
Middleton House Solar Farm is located in western Co Longford approximately 2.4km south of the village of Cloondara and 2.5km north west of the village of Killashee in the townlands of Middleton, Ballycore, Treanboy, Ballynakill, and Bunacloy.
A new 5.7km cable route will connect the solar farm to a new transformer compound at the former Lough Ree Power Site and from there to the electricity grid at Lanesborough 110kV substation.
The Location Map provides more details of the site location.
Middleton House Solar Farm achieved full planning permission from Longford County Council. Three separate applications were granted permission for the project original Solar Farm project in 2018 (reference PL-18/135) a subsequent extension to the site footprint in 2021 (reference PL–21/225) and the grid route and transformer compound in May 2023 (reference PL–22/275).
The project successfully obtained a capacity contract in the RESS 2 auction in June 2022.
Middleton House Solar Farm will consist of rows of solar panels mounted on a typical galvanised metal framework. The panels face in a southerly direction with the highest point of the top of the panels being between 2.5 and 3.0m above ground level.
The development of a solar farm on the proposed site will not have any significant visual impact on roads, settlements or on any area of special amenity value. Due to the relative low height of the solar arrays, combined with the flat low-lying character of the site and existing field boundaries, views of the proposed development are restricted.
Current Development Timeline
| January '24 | Enabling Works on site commenced. |
| Autumn '24 - Autumn '25 | Grid Works duration. |
| Autumn '24 - Autumn '25 | Solar Farm construction works. |
| Winter '25 | Commissioning and project operational. |
Community Benefits
At a local level, there will be benefits from the construction and operation of the Middleton House Solar Farm. These include:
- A Community Benefit Fund;
- Indirect employment through the sub-supply of services in the local area; and
- Rates paid by the solar farm to Longford County Council will support the provision of local services.
Community Benefit Fund
The Middleton House Solar Farm project will have a Community Benefit Fund which will distribute grants to organisations in the local area once the solar farm is operational. The fund is to be used for the wider economic, environmental, social and cultural wellbeing of the local community.
ESB has an independent dedicated administrator for Wind and Solar Farm Community Funds, and they are called SECAD. This is their application portal website: www.communitybenefitfunds.ie and there is a help section on the site that communities may find helpful, including links to webinars. While the solar fund is not operational yet, we encourage you to start thinking about the kind of projects you might submit and the supporting information SECAD require.
When more information is available, we will communicate via local media, through the local authorities and via this website.
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