Dungiven campaign group react angrily to plans to erect more wind turbines on Benbradagh

Members of a campaign group have reacted angrily to plans to erect more wind turbines on top of Benbradagh Mountain in Dungiven.

There is already a planning application in for a windfarm on the top of the mountain, which has attracted widespread cross-community opposition, with over 1,500 objections submitted to date. However, another developer, renewable power producer ERG, now plans to submit a new planning application, for an additional nine turbines on top of the prominent landmark, in early 2025.

ERG hosted a public consultation event for Evishagaran Wind Farm in Dungiven Sports Centre on Wednesday evening (September 18).

The company said the purpose of the event was to inform the community of their plans and also to gather a range of opinions.

Around 20 members of the Save Benbradagh campaign group held a peaceful protest outside the venue on the evening of the consultation.

They were joined by Aontú Deputy Leader and East Derry representative, Gemma Brolly.

Members of the group slammed the restrictive times of the public consultation event, which ran from 11am to 1.30pm and 4pm to 6.30pm, saying it meant many people of working age or with families were unable to attend.

A spokesperson for the campaign group said people who attended the event 'complained about the accuracy of information presented' and queried why photo-visualisations, a key tool for demonstrating and helping communities understand visual impact, 'tried to downplay impact, with proposed turbines hardly visible and hidden by cloud'.

The spokesperson said: “The map displayed simply showed an area of mountainside with poor labelling and no clarification of where the proposed turbines would be in terms of relationship to recognisable main roads or Dungiven, which left many people struggling to understand exactly where the new turbines are proposed.”

The Save Benbradagh Group spokesperson also said attempts by ERG consultants to 'dismiss people’s opinions and viewpoints and instead keep stating their own views, was experienced as deeply disrespectful'.

“Why are you not listening to us?” one local lady asked - “We don’t want these on our mountain. I can’t state it more simply than that. I already see turbines out every window. The whole Roe Valley is surrounded with them and it will be even worse when the additional windfarms already consented in the Drumsurn area and Feeny are built. They’ll soon be on every horizon. Let other areas start taking their fair share of them”.

“Members of the public have a right to access, participate and give their views on development proposals which will impact their area and community. It is vitally important communities are given adequate and accurate information to fully understand what is being proposed, so they can respond accordingly. For developers not to provide accurate information or representation of the impact of the development, renders the community consultation deeply flawed and not fit for purpose,” the Save Benbradagh member stated.

“No amount of community benefit funds can compensate for the irreplaceable loss of key natural landmarks that are an intrinsic part of the culture, heritage, sense of place and identity of the local community. The vast majority of our community are opposed to these developments.

“There are many tourism offerings and accommodation in the area, with visitors all remarking on the beauty of the surrounding Sperrins landscape. The offer of token 'local enhancements' by the developer to offset impacts of their proposed industrialisation of the landscape on local tourism is nonsense.”

The spokesperson also slammed the local government.

“Failure by the NI government to progress offshore windfarms in a timely manner to do 'the heavy lifting' and ensure provision of a suitably diverse renewable energy mix to meet 2030 targets, (as is happening elsewhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland), due to various political vacuums in Stormont, cannot result in deeply damaging and concentrated discriminating impacts for NI’s North West rural communities, who already carry the burden of NI’s overreliance on onshore wind,” the spokesperson said.

“In addition Causeways Coast and Glens key scenic landscapes and rural communities cannot be left more vulnerable than those in other council areas as a result of delays in progressing the Local Development Plan for the council area – discrimination by omission is not acceptable.”

Aontú Deputy Leader and East Derry Representative Gemma Brolly attended the consultation.

"Having attended the recent Wind Farm Consultation event in Dungiven,  I am aware of concerns with the level of accuracy within the presentation, particularly with visual representations. Not only is genuine community consultation vital in such circumstances but there is a responsibility on partaking companies to provide accurate information, which cannot be perceived as misleading. Trust in this process is vital," she said.

Ms Brolly said 'damaging Benbradagh will undermine recent plans for Sperrins and the local area'.

"Aontú support renewable energy following community consultation. I have attended a number of meetings in the past year alone regarding the future of our area, particularly that of Benbradagh as an AONB. We have been very clear. To disturb the iconic scene of Benbradagh along with it's wildlife and vegetation would completely contradict it's AONB status, whilst placing the wonderful plans for the Sperrins and for Dungiven at risk. There are 490 tourism bedspaces within a 4 mile radius of Dungiven, many of which advertise our beautiful surrounding landscape, but with large wind turbines erected on top of Benbradagh this may no longer be deemed accurate,” she said.

"As a farmer's wife, I can comprehend the relief that must be felt when an such an offer is made in order to enable the process of erecting wind farms, particularly in a climate and economy which increasingly appears to insult the traditional farming tradition but we must place the responsibility square on the shoulders of those in government to support farmers in alternative ways, such as social farming which would open a world of opportunities for many in the area as well as the farming family. The community must support these farmers in this quest."

The Aontú Deputy Leader concluded: "Benbradagh symbolises so much of our history, featuring in our culture through song and poetry, binding us together for centuries. We must preserve it as those before have, for the generations to come.  Aontú believe in genuine respectful communication, in cohesion and reaching consensus but this can only happen with the honest representation of facts and agreement to act in accordance with the wishes of the community."

A spokesperson for ERG said: “Thanks to everyone who attended and provided feedback at the public consultation event for the Proposed Development at the operational Evishagaran Wind Farm.

“This initial stage of the Proposed Development focuses on informing the community about our plans and gathering a range of opinions before submitting a planning application in early 2025. At this point, all designs are in the preliminary stages and we take all feedback into consideration as we continue to shape the proposed development.

“We believe that open, early and transparent communication is essential as we work towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for all. For those who were unable to attend the public consultation, all information is available on our website and feedback can still be submitted by Friday, 11th October 2024: here ”