A community development association says it will continue to oppose a wind farm which has been given planning permission by An Bord Pleanála.
The association is looking at its legal options after permission was granted to Tarbert Renewable Energy Ltd in late June following the company's appeal against a refusal by Kerry County Council to the planning appeals board.
A draft policy on wind energy in the county is currently before the public. The Tarbert Development Association, a voluntary elected body, last night held a meeting on whether to look for a judicial review of An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant permission for the 19-turbine wind farm one kilometre from the Kerry village.
"We have pursued this through the planning process for 18 months. Kerry County Council turned it down. An Bord Pleanála's own inspector advised against it, but the board gave it the go-ahead anyway," Mr John Fox, the association's spokesman, said.
Kerry County Council, in turning down the application, highlighted visual obtrusiveness and the possibility of excessive noise, especially given that the turbines will be turning for 24 hours a day.
Many of the 500 residents in the village are unhappy with the development and there have been petitions from the whole area against it.
"Nobody in Tarbert is against green energy or wind energy to offset greenhouse gas emissions," Mr Fox stressed. "It is the fact the wind farm is less than one kilometre from the village."