·         Compliance with Condition No. 8 of An Bord Pleanála Ref. PL.20.239743 (RCC Planning Ref. No. PD/10/507 also refers)

Mr. Martin Lydon, Head Of Finance and Director of Services gave the members an update on the Sliabh Bawn Windfarm Noise Monitoring Report:

·         As per Condition 8 of the planning permission for the Sliabh Bawn windfarm, a Compliance survey was prepared by Noise and Vibration Consultants Ltd. and presented to the Council.

·         The report is a public document .

·         The analysis was carried out using best practice as per the Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006. The report looks at Baseline data taken before and after the construction of the windfarm.  The operational noise compliance monitoring was carried out at seven receptors around the perimeter and one location beside a walking trail. There was difficulty in obtaining landowner permissions at certain locations and alternative sites were used.

·         The data shows that all locations were operating within the 43 decibels level, thus the windfarm is in compliance with its planning permission.

·         There is currently a live enforcement file with the Environment Section who will examine this report and will also carry out their own monitoring once the equipment has been calibrated and returned.

The members asked the following questions:

·         How long was the testing done for  - a week/month and when wind blowing from different directions?

·         When will the Environment Section be out on site to test?

·         The problem is with the winds from the South West – were tests carried out when the wind was blowing from this direction?

·         What was the spectrum of level of noise results recorded, especially at night time.

·         As some individuals would not allow testing, has this hindered the study and were they able to monitor outside the boundaries of the windfarm.

·         Are the results average figures?

·         Residents still maintain there is a problem – noise occurs at different times on different days

·         Can the results be received from the Consultants for the next meeting?

Mr. Lydon said that some of the questions are very technical and can be found in the report that can be made available to the members. The monitoring took place between 19^th December 2014 – 16^th January 2015 and for a month after the windfarm was constructed. The report mentions down winds and also that some of the noise levels were higher before the farm was constructed. Road noise were just as apparent as wind turbines.

Cllr. Leyden said that it would be useful to get the answers to the questions raised by the members from the Consultants for the next meeting as it could not be expected that the members or Director would go through the 1,000 page report of technical data. The testing by the Environment Section should be done under all wind conditions and for a specific period of time and proposed Mr. Lydon revert to the consultants and this was seconded by Cllr. Dineen but not agreed.

Mr. Lydon said that from reading sections of the report, he is satisfied that that all permutations and conditions were taken into account when carrying out the noise survey and while he could go back to the consultants, he would get the same answers.  Cllr. Fitzmaurice suggested that the members need to read the report to decipher what information is in the report.

Mr. Lydon recommended that the members read the 32-page executive survey and confirmed he will forward it to them. They can then contact him with any queries they may have.