EirGrid ‘called out’ over pylon plans

The North South Interconnector project came under fire at the December monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, which was held in Dowra Resource Centre last week.

It was Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF) who chaired the lengthy motion in which he laid out his grievances with the project, which was first proposed about “18 years” ago.

Himself a member of the North East Pressure Pylon Campaign, Cllr Kelly read a statement from the group into the record of the local authority meeting.

He told those gathered that EirGrid has “abdicated” its responsibilities in interacting with local authorities regarding “compliance” with the planning conditions.

Cllr Kelly said a second North South Interconnector project submitted by EirGrid was approved by An Bord Pleanála in December 2016, which was subject to nine “strict” conditions, with each relevant local authority responsible for enforcing these.

“Nine years on and none of these conditions have been signed off in terms of compliance,” he claims.

He said the NEPPC wished to “call out” some of the “extraordinary activities” taking place that have affected landowners and communities.

He laid out the “state of play” as follows: EirGrid has “abdicated” its responsibility for discussions with the local authority to the ESB and its “appointed representatives”. According to Cllr Kelly, NEPPC has highlighted to the three local authorities that the engagement regarding compliance “should be with EirGrid”.

“We reserve our rights on this matter,” he stated.

“ESB has made the decision not to comply with the binding conditions and instead has made the extraordinary request to the local authorities to allow major variations to the conditions of a significant material effect.”

He listed some “examples” of this: “Instead” of submitting the “stipulated” construction, traffic and waste management plans “prior to the commencement of development”, he claims ESB has “requested a make-it-up-as-we-go-along set of piecemeal submissions over a three-year period” (2026-2029).

“The proposal requests agreement to immediately commence construction of a set of pylons to start with and then seek further approvals on a phased or rolling basis over a period of three years.”

Cllr Kelly told the meeting that this is “completely contrary” to what was “submitted and committed” by the developer in the application to An Bord Pleanála.

In addition, he read out that EirGrid outlined the need for access to approximately 584 access routes via “farmers’ private property” and stated they “did not submit a single finalised route for approval in the planning application” and instead “submitted a set of maps outlining indicative temporary access routes”.

Access routes

Cllr Kelly outlined that access routes should be submitted to local authorities for agreement “prior to the commencement of development” however to date he said ESB have submitted a “mere 11 planned access routes” - six in Cavan, one in Monaghan and four in Meath.

“It should be noted that this ploy by ESB to pressurise the relevant local authorities to circumvent the binding conditions through a phasing or rolling discharge approach is one that it has tried elsewhere on a similar electricity strategic infrastructure project, but it was rejected by the relevant local authority,” said Cllr Kelly.

He further claimed ESB is “fully aware” documentation should be submitted “in full” rather than on a “phased basis”, but believes the electricity provider is “trying its luck with the three local authorities”.

“This is a wilful misuse of a significant amount of local authorities’ time and resources.

“The bottom line is that correct procedures must be followed and full compliance with the clear conditions must be enforced,” Cllr Kelly stated.

He said NEPPC is “calling for action” and requested that the elected representatives “demand” a meeting with the developer and that the local councillors “make it very clear” to the local authority planning executives that compliance with the conditions be “fully enforced”.

Cllr Kelly highlighted the “forgotten victims”; the “many landowners” who are “still in limbo” 18 years after they were first informed that “their property was planned to be used for wayleave and pylon structures”.

A wayleave notice is a formal, written communication from a utility or telecommunications company to a landowner, requesting permission to install, access, or maintain their equipment (such as cables, pipes, or power lines) on or under the owner’s private property.

Cllr Kelly said affected landowners “have had to change or delay various personal or family decisions related to their affected lands”.

“We make the point once again that an underground alternative, now being much more widely used by the developer and conceded as cost-benefit neutral with overhead lines remains the solution to moving forward and will be fully supported for a path to accelerated completion,” he concluded.

Director of Services Brendan Jennings told the meeting that they have had “one meeting” with ESB since the issue was last raised.

“There was no real advancement I’ll put it that way,” he stated.

As much time had been allocated to the motion, the Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley wished to move the meeting on, and commenting on the prolonged motion, he stated: “Nobody could possibly have anything to add to that.”