ESB should consider going underground

IN obtaining wayleaves, the ESB has quite draconian powers compared to the Britain where the costs in rents and compensation to landowners are higher.

This means that British supply boards are more likely to install underground cables for new 38kV (33kV in Britain) supplies on the basis of cost.

Apart from public fears of a health hazard, overhead power lines are unsightly, interfere with farming and sterilise land against mature trees.

They are also vulnerable to lightning strikes (which can cause power blackouts) and damage by vehicles, as well as being a danger to birds.

The ESB should be obliged to execute a comparative technical cost analysis which would be open to public scrutiny. Only then could we be sure they were not simply following tradition.

There is a wider issue that affects not only power lines but roads, incinerators and all sorts of construction. If the amenities, tranquility and convenience of residents are going to be diminished in any way by a project, compensation should be paid on the basis of that loss.

This could be calculated in terms of loss of property resale value or by asking people how much they would want in compensation for noise, danger, smell, ugliness. etc, given the choice. This cost would then be borne by the developer.

This would be a fair, democratic and civilised procedure, but no doubt unacceptable to a Government that listens more to vested commercial interests than to the plain people of Ireland.

Michael Job

Rossnagrean

Glengarriff

Co Cork