Councillors object to masts erected near homes

Queries relating to telecoms masts were issued to Waterford City and County Council this week, on foot of a planning permission granted recently by An Bord Pleanála.

Speaking at the January meeting of the Dungarvan/Lismore District, West Waterford councillor Seamus O’Donnell highlighted a case in Old Parish in which permission was granted for a 5G telecoms mast to be erected.

Cllr O’Donnell claimed that the mast was erected close to several dwellings.

Despite being denied permission for the development by Waterford City and County Council in an earlier planning application, Cllr O’Donnell noted that An Bord Pleanála recently granted permission.

“I am totally against the likes of that happening inside in a housing estate, and especially when there are people living in and around the locality, very close to it,” Cllr O’Donnell said.

Councillor Tom Cronin supported statements made by Cllr O’Donnell, stating that the mast is to be installed ‘basically on top of a house with people living inside it’.

REMOVAL ONCE OBSOLETE

Following Cllr O’Donnell’s comments, Tallow Cllr James Tobin, queried when such masts, and similar ones across the county which have since become obsolete, would be taken down.

“When they become obsolete and they don’t serve the purpose that they were put up for, especially the wind masts, when they’re put up to test the wind and there’s nothing happening and they change their site, how long can they be left up? Are we as a council, putting a limit on them?”

“When a mast has served its purpose it should be removed immediately. I think that should be part of any planning that we give to those people,” Cllr Tobin said.

Responding to queries posed, Executive Planner with Waterford City and County Council, Hugh O’Brien, said he could not speak in relation to specifics of the particular case mentioned.

“Conditions are placed on any planning permission to remove these masts when their lifetimes are up, so there’s an incumbent on the developer to do that or upgrade it, whatever the longer term plans of the developer are,” he said.