22/10/2025
๐๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐
๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐
๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ
For two years, we stood together against a threat to our shared landscape: an industrial scale solar farm and substation planned for the East Ferry ridgeline. The strength of our community was clear when, backed by hundreds of objections, Cork County Council refused the application.
When the developer appealed to An Bord Pleanรกla (ABP), we again responded in force. Despite this, ABP granted permission, prioritizing national energy targets over the preservation of our local environment.
Refusing to accept this, the Rathcoursey Solar Farm Opposition Group (RSFOG) embarked on a final legal avenue: exploring a Judicial Review in the High Court. We engaged a solicitor, barristers, planning consultants, and acoustic experts, to scrutinise the decision, searching for any legal error we could challenge.
The advice was sobering. We had a strong case that the decision was flawed, but the courts would likely send it back to ABP for a mere technical correction, not a reversal. The financial risk of facing the developer's and ABP's costs in addition to our own legal fees was simply too great for our community group to bear.
Yet, our resolve has left a mark. The planning permission is shackled with strict conditions thanks to our objections, and the flaws that we uncovered in the developer's plans will be major obstacles for them. The fight has made their project far more difficult to execute.
This crucial fight has come at a cost of over โฌ32,000 in legal and consultancy fees. As we continue to monitor the project, we ask for your help to settle the debts incurred in defending our community. Please consider contributing to help cover these costs and honour the immense effort already made. Even a small contribution would be immensely appreciated and will directly support the fight we undertook on behalf of everyone.
An Update on Our Fight Against the Rathcoursey Solar Farm andโฆ Friends of East Ferry Defending our Green Belt needs your support for Friends of East Ferry - Defending the Green Belt
