Great Island residents in Cork to seek legal advice on 1.5 km of overheadwer lineResidents of Great Island in Cork Harbour are to seek legal advice in an effort to stop the ESB building a 220kV overhead power line.
The 20 or so residents of the Tay Road near Cobh are faced with the prospect of eight pylons being constructed over a distance of about 1.5 km.
A public meeting in Cobh was told the ESB was implementing a compromise proposal with the Cork Anti-Pylon Representative Association (CARA) following a review of the plan under the chairmanship of Mr Phil Flynn.
Under the original proposal first mooted in 1994, the ESB planned to construct 84 pylons to bring the 220kV line overground along 23 km from the generating station at Aghada across Great Island and on to Monkstown and Raffeen to meet the increasing demands of industry and housing development in greater south Cork.
That proposal was rejected by CARA, which argued the line should be brought underwater across Cork Harbour. However, the estimated cost of that by independent consultants R.W. Beck of Seattle was €41 million to €44 million, which was rejected by the ESB when compared to its overland option which would cost €7 million to €8 million.
The compromise proposal put forward by Mr Flynn following a review by a group, which consisted of CARA representatives Mr J.J. Kett and Mr Tom Lynch of Irish Energy Management and ESB representatives Mr Pádraig McManus and Mr Brian Cronly, involves bringing the line from Aghada underwater to Cuskinny underground to Cow's Cross on Great Island.
The compromise route is 14.7 km with the final 7.8 km on pylons, including 1.5 km on Great Island and the remainder at Monkstown and Raffeen.
The proposal involves a net increase of just four pylons - one on the Raffeen side and three on Great Island - compared to a net increase of 59 pylons under the ESB's original proposal.
The compromise, however,would involve the replacement of some existing pylons along the Tay Road with bigger structures.
Tay Road resident Mr Trevor Laffan said he already had two pylons near his house and was now going to end up with a third larger pylon. He asked why the ESB could not have carried the remainder of the line underground on Great Island.
Mr Kett said the ESB had told CARA that would cost a further €10 million. However, Tay Road resident Mr Frank Donovan said the ESB would have to pay hefty compensation to farmers on the overhead route and he believed such monies would defray the cost of a new transition station.
Mr Donovan said he had met an ESB representative earlier this week and he had been told an ESB pylon already outside his house was going to come 30-40 metres closer his home; depending on whom locals spoke to in the ESB, the new pylons were going to be either the same size or 17 metres higher than the existing ones.
CARA's chairman Mr Willie Cunningham said Mr Flynn clearly stated if the compromise was not accepted by the residents, then the ESB would revert to its original and preferred option.
The proposal would be built by grid managers Eirgrid in November and people on the Tay Road would be even worse off than under the compromise proposal.
Several CARA representatives said they had got the best possible deal and they were faced with a take-it-or-leave-it situation by the review group. "If we felt we could have got another inch out of it after 10½ years, then we would have stuck at it but we can't go any further with it," said Mr Pat Gill. An ESB spokesperson said yesterday that the company had no costings yet on the compromise route.
Cork pylon dispute: timeline
1994: ESB proposes to run new 220kV supply line from Aghada to Raffeen overland by means of 84 pylons via Great Island to meet growing demands of industry and development in south Cork.
1995 and 1996: ESB modifies its route and applies for planning permission to Cork County Council.
1997: Cork County Council grants planning permission but later appeals its own decision to An Bord Pleanála at the instigation of councillors who are lobbied by locals. An Bord Pleanála rejects appeal. Cork Anti-Pylon Representative Association (CARA) is formed.
1999: Cork County Council rescinds planning permission in March, ESB appeals to the High Court and chief executive of IDA intervenes. Compromise using mono-poles instead of pylons is tabled by ESB but is rejected by CARA.
2000: High Court hearing in January. Court rules against county council in July and planning permission is reinstated. ESB about to start work in September but the minister,Ms O'Rourke, establishes a review board under chairmanship of Mr Phil Flynn (left) to examine the case.
2001: Consultants Irish Energy Management are appointed to assist CARA with expert advice. R.W. Beck of Seattle are appointed consultants to the Review Group.
2002: Beck draft report in March, planning permission extended by 30 months to October 2004.
2003: Beck final report is presented and the chairman, Mr Flynn, draws on that to make a series of compromise proposals
2004: Mr Flynn's report published.
