“Apple has chosen the ‘wrong site’ for its proposed €850 million data centre near Athenry, Co Galway, according to a group of residents who have objected to the planning application,” Lorna Siggins reports for The Irish Times. “Energy use concerns, impact of noise on a local primary school and on bird life, and the potential for a ‘greenway’ cycle route are among the issues raised in a number of submissions on the project lodged with Galway County Council. Residents of Lisheenkyle, near Oranmore in Co Galway, are critical of the environmental impact statement (EIS) accompanying Apple’s planning application, which seeks approval for a 24,505sqm single-storey data centre building, along with logistics, administration, maintenance and security buildings in the townland of Palmerstown and Toberroe near Athenry.”

“The company had promised an ‘outdoor classroom’ for Lisheenkyle National School, which backs up onto the woodland area. The 227-pupil school already has a ‘seomra na coille,’ or ‘eco-classroom, and its own 11kw wind turbine for its energy needs,” Siggins reports. “However, the group of Lisheenkyle residents, which includes parents with children in the school, state that the EIS is ‘inadequate’ as it does not deal with issues of noise and vibration from ‘traffic generation’ and the running of 18 generators.”

“The provision of a ‘greenway’ is also raised in submissions from Labour Senator Lorraine Higgins and the Sligo Mayo Greenway and Western rail trail campaigns. Ms Higgins says that the ‘greenway’ would allow for sustainable transport commuting by staff and would link into the national cycle network, including the Dublin-Galway route currently under construction,” Siggins reports. “She says that Apple should be asked to consider contributing funding for the cycleway/walkway, and suggests the potential for ‘naming rights.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Naming rights? (rolls eyes)

Hopefully, this will all work out to everyone’s satisfaction.

SEE ALSO:

Apple’s strong commitment to the environment sets a powerful example for other companies – May 15, 2015
Apple to invest €1.7 billion to build two new european data centers – February 23, 2015