This article is from page 17 of the 2006-08-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant O2 has refused a request by Clare County Council to reduce the height of a 50-foot proposed mast at Lisheen, Ballynacally.
Earlier this year, the council put the plan on hold, stating that the proposed mast was visually obtrusive and asking O2 to reduce its height. In response, O2 claims that 15 metres is the lowest possible structure that will provide the required coverage.
The company states, “If we were to (reduce the height), coverage would be blocked by the hill to the east of the site and render that sector useless”.
The company was also asked by the council to investigate the option of colocating a mast. O2 responded, “There are no structures in the area upon which to co-locate”, but added that co-locating a mast would have been its first and preferred option.
The plan has encountered stiff opposition locally. In all, 57 objectors, led by the Lisheen Mast Action Group, have lodged objections. The objection lodged by the Action Group, and signed by over 120 people, expressed health fears over the mast.
A decision is due on the application later this month.
Meanwhile, residents in the Moveen area of west Clare have made a last ditch attempt to prevent eircom from retaining a phone mast that residents believe is illegal.
Last month, Clare County Council granted planning permission to eircom to retain the structure at Moveen Hill, Kilkee. A five year planning permission was previously granted to eircom and this permission expired in May 2004.
The proposed structure encountered stiff local opposition. In an objection lodged by the Moveen East Protest Group, its chairman, Shay Hynes stated: “The existing mast doesn’t have planning permission and should have been removed since May 2004. This is an illegal structure.
“Eircom Ltd has blatantly ignored the requirements of the original planning permission, has changed the use of the mast without permission, increased RF radiation emissions to unknown levels and ignored the enforcement order issued by the council.”
However, eircom warned that the removal of the mast would leave the area without eircom or Vodafone coverage for a substantial period of time.
Now, the Moveen Mast Protest Group has appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanala. In a brief two-page appeal, Mr Hynes states that eircom has materially changed the development from that originally permitted. “This makes the mast a prominent feature in the skyline all around Kilkee,” he states.
A decision is due on the appeal later this year.