By Dan Walsh
No to Kilmichael Wind Farm Community Group committee have requested that WexfordLocal.com publish its statement in reply to the one published from Regnum Renewables as part of our report.
WexfordLocal.com is happy to oblige. The statement reads as follows;
“We welcome Regnum’s engagement by means of a prepared statement to Wexfordlocal.com. They speak at length about community engagement, however the experience of our community is at complete odds to the picture they paint “They claim to have made contact with 119 homes located close to the proposed wind farm since the project started in 2023. As a result of this claim, in their statement they have had 67 direct interactions with property owners. There are over 2,000 residents within 3kms of the wind farm.
“As a voluntary group formed only two months ago, No to Kilmichael Wind Farm have collected 450 petition signatures, launched a dedicated website, erected 200 road signs, have a Whatsapp group with 370 members and have had two excellently attended public meetings. That is what public engagement looks like.
“They tell us that a dedicated full – time, on-the-ground, community liaison officer was appointed by them in 2024. The vast majority of residents didn’t know about his existence until March this year. The reality is that this is nothing more than another box–ticking exercise for Regnum as this officer has proved completely out of his depth and unable to answer questions posed to him. We would welcome this officer to a community meeting or to a head-to-head interview with one of our representatives on the radio.
“In their statement, they describe in full their feasibility study which identifies Kilmichael Hill as a suitable site for a wind farm. They fail to mention that the area has been categorised by Wexford County Council’s Wind Energy Strategy as an area unsuitable for further wind farm development.
“There was no public consultation carried out as part of their feasibility study or mentions of the high population in the area. In their statement, they talk about the Community Benefit Fund and potential rates income for the local authority. Amazingly, and of great concern, they show a complete lack of empathy to the overpowering health concerns of local residents by failing to mention them.
“As a group, we have had a lot of interactions with other wind farm groups and there is a common theme developing of insufferable misery where turbines are located close to where people live. Additionally, they fail to mention the issue of sterilisation of land, whereby local people will be unable to get planning permission for homes for their children in the future.
“Regnum’s company slogan is “Building a better world”. In reality, it is a company where the only thing that matters is the bottom line. Why are they repeatedly ringing residents close to the turbines offering them more and more money to buy their silence? We know of one couple where Regnum officials are ringing both the husband and wife on an almost daily basis.”
WexfordLocal.com 