This article is from page 13 of the 2006-04-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
CLARE County Council has expressed concern over the visual impact of a planned 50-foot mast, to be built by telecommunications giant, O2 at Lisheen, Ballynacally.
In putting the plan on hold, the council concluded that the 15-metre high structure did not represent best practice and that O2 must considerably reduce the structure in height from what was proposed.
The proposal is facing widespread opposition from the local community, with 57 objections, led by the Lisheen Mast Action Group, lodged against it.
An objection lodged by the action group and signed by over 120 people, expressed health fears over the mast.
It stated that “the people of Lisheen have no desire to be included in a biological experiment.”
“Local residents living in the vicinity of the proposed mast are not prepared to be designated as human guinea pigs by either O2 or Clare County Council, by the adoption of a wait-and-see policy regards the potential for adverse health effects of this mast if it is built in our locality.
“The residents believe that the harm which would be caused by allowing the proposed development to proceed would greatly outweigh any advantages in terms of improved telecommunications infrastructure.”
The council concluded that the “proposed structure on this exposed and elevated site would . . . result in antennae being a prominent landmark clearly visible on the skyline when viewed over a wide area.”
O2 have also been asked to show the location and number of existing sites in the area; details on the impact of co-locating on another site; provide evidence that the area experiences poor quality and frequent lapses in coverage and elaborate on why efforts to date have not been successful. The company has also been asked to state why an alternative location on a less elevated site was not considered and was not possible and to submit evidence that they had sought to share existing facilities with existing licensed providers.
The company has already told the council that the site at Lisheen was carefully selected, bringing coverage to a wide area with a minimum of infrastructure and that O2 has investigated the possibility of co-locating with other operators in the area, though there are none present.
A decision is due later this year.