New wind farm project sparks concerns in scenic North Mayo region

A proposed new wind farm in north Mayo has sparked fresh controversy at the last Belmullet-Westport Municipal District, with a councillor saying it is time to “call stop” on further wind turbine developments in the Erris region.

Speaking to the Mayo News after the meeting, Cllr Gerry Coyle has warned that another wind farm would be located “at the heart of a very scenic area” and could undermine years of work promoting tourism in one of Mayo’s most distinctive landscapes.

Speaking about the proposal, Cllr Coyle said Erris has already made a significant contribution to renewable energy, with dozens of turbines operating across the area.

“We have done a lot here – the Wild Atlantic Way, the Dark Skies, and many other initiatives,” he said. “Erris has produced an enormous amount already. We have around 30 windmills, which would make it one of the biggest inland wind farm areas in Europe. How much more can we do?”

The councillor said residents travelling from Castlebar through Ballycroy can already see the scale of existing wind farm development.

“If you check it from Castlebar down and pass Ballycroy, you’ll see all these windmills,” he said. “They are interfering with scenic areas, and to be honest, they contribute very little to the local economy.”

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Cllr Coyle also questioned the fairness of exporting energy from Erris while local infrastructure and services remain under pressure.

“That’s not fair to anybody,” he said. “We’re producing all this energy here and sending it out, while local needs are not being met.”

Responding to questions about whether local communities benefit from wind farms, the councillor pointed to what he described as a stark imbalance.

“How ironic is this?” he said. “The gas turbine and gas plant down in Bellanaboy is heating swimming pools in Claremorris, Westport, Ballina and Castlebar, while our own pool is closed. The energy is going everywhere else, but not to us.”

He added that community gain payments from developers are “a pittance” compared to the scale of development involved.

“It’s a very small percentage of money across a big area like ours,” he said. “We need roads, we need services, we need investment, and we’re just not seeing it.”

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Cllr Coyle said Erris has built a strong tourism offering in recent years, with attractions such as the lighthouse at Blacksod, new civic facilities and water-based activities drawing visitors to the area.

“We are dependent on tourism,” he said. “We’ve made great progress here, and we can’t just be all wind. We can’t be overrun by turbines.”

He also raised concerns about planning consistency, noting that local people face strict conditions when applying to build homes.

“If a local person wants to build a house, they’re asked for ties to the area and told to keep the house low,” he said. “Yet all of a sudden, a windmill of 180 or 185 metres can go up and no one seems to care. That doesn’t sound fair to me.”

While acknowledging that others may disagree with his stance, Cllr Coyle said his concerns reflect a growing unease in Erris about the long-term impact of large-scale wind energy development on Mayo’s most scenic and tourism-dependent regions.