Landowners vow to fight on after ESB gets go-ahead for high voltage lines

Eddie Cassidy

Bord Pleanála yesterday rejected an appeal by the Bantry Concerned Action Group against a Cork County Council decision to grant planning to the ESB to construct an overhead 38kV line from the privately-owned Glanta Commons windfarm at Dromourneen to a 110kV power station.

Locals, who had offered the ESB an option of allowing the cables run underground had objected to overhead cables on the grounds of health and safety.

The group’s chairman, father-of-two Joe Burke said potential health risks, particularly in light of a British report showing a doubling of the rate of leukaemia in children living close to electric pylons, was a major concern.

He said the group was annoyed the county council had earlier approved planning for a sub-station which was later relocated to facilitate the overhead lines.

Locals firmly believed they were tricked by the ESB and that the council falsely made a decision which allowed the sub-station to be relocated, Mr Burke said.

“We are not going to give up on this campaign,” he said.

“We are hoping to have this issue raised in the European Parliament on the grounds that the proposed route of the cables may contravene EU law on planning, health and human rights.”

Mr Burke, however, said the action group would not fight the matter in the courts.

Bord Pleanála, in its decision, attached eight conditions to the planning.

The appeals board ruled that planning permission was in line with national policy for the generation of alternative renewable sources of electricity and that the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities or depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity. The board ruled that cables should be a minimum of 25 metres from any dwelling.