Plans to erect seven 5G masts in Cork City rejected

Call for reform of licensing system in relation to masts

Cllrs Sean Martin and Paudie Dineen with residents of Friars Walk earlier this year blocked the installation of a second telecoms mast in six months outside a house. The first mast is visible in the background.

Plans to erect seven 5G boosting telecoms masts in the heart of Cork City — including five along its main street — have been shot down amid concerns about their visual impact.

But the applications to install them, and the reasons why they were all rejected, are not readily available to the public because such structures are exempt from planning and are dealt with through the same licensing process for street furniture, like tables and chairs outside pubs and restaurants.