Environmental tests ‘a must’, say residents

A village in East Cork is calling for rigorous noise and environmental studies to be carried out if the ESB is to extend its local substation — a project reportedly vital to the modernisation of the electricity grid.

Knockraha Community Association is arguing that an environmental impact statement (EIS) must be carried out, as such assessments were not completed when the substation was first built and the planned extension will increase the site area by 50%.

Knockraha, housing the biggest ESB substation in the South, is also the starting point of the controversial Gridlink pylon project which is seeking to build a corridor of 400kV pylons from Cork to Wexford and on to Kildare.