Sunday 6 September 2009

Kerry locals in spat with wind farm firm over bog slide clean-up

A WIND turbine company is being sued by a farming community in Kerry one year after a bog slide – which has still not been cleared – blocked access to their land.

Residents of Lyrecrom­pane in the Stack mountains have insisted that the wind farm – currently being developed by Tralee-based Tra Investments – is to blame for last August's bog slide. Locals say it has led to a significant loss of local earnings.

Legal proceedings are under way, with assessors set to estimate the level of loss caused to local livelihoods.

Residents say Kerry county council has not cleared all of the bog debris or kept in contact with them.

"Nobody has come near us during the last 12 months. Nobody has made any contact," said one local who asked not to be named in light of pending litigation.

"They would definitely be out of pocket because people can't go to get cut turf and some of them have land leased but they can't go in."

Kerry County Council says it reopened local roads six days after the event and had received correspondence from just one landowner outside the state which it advised should seek independent legal advice.

However, sources have said that landowners have already been compensated through insurance and that relations with the majority of the community were "excellent".

Sunday Tribune

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