Tipperary council rejected New Inn eir mast application because it would be 'oppressive feature'

Tipperary County Council has refused eir’s second attempt at securing planning approval to erect a 15m telecommunications mast in New Inn village because it would be an “oppressive feature” next to a neighbouring house and “seriously injure” the residential amenity of that property.

The Council also knocked the controversial planning application to build the mast at the Eir Exchange site at Graigue, New Inn because it believed eir didn’t give due consideration to locating the “shrouded” mast in an alternative location in the locality.

In effect, it didn’t believe this was a “site of last resort” for the mast.

Explaining its decision, the local authority considered the proposed mast would be an oppressive feature due to its “height and form”, proximity to the neighbouring residential property and lack of any screening on the shared boundary between the two sites.

The council was also not satisfied that the proposal was “capable of being visually absorbed by the receiving environment”.

In view of this the council ruled that the mast would be contrary to the “proper planning and sustainable development of the area” and conflicted with the Tipperary County Development Plan and Ministerial Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures.

The refusal of the planning application last Wednesday, March 6 has been welcomed by two Independent councillors who submitted objections to the project.

Cllrs Andy Moloney and Máirín McGrath joined New Inn’s two primary schools, New Inn Tidy Towns Committee and a large number of local residents including Gerard and Cathy Moloney, the residents of the house next to the Eir Exchange, in objecting to the mast.

Tipperary County Council received a total of 34 submissions opposing the development.

Eir submitted the planning application to construct a “shrouded” 15m mast on the Eir Exchange site just five months after An Bord Pleanála upheld Tipperary County Council’s 2021 decision to refuse planning permission for a “monopole” mast of the same height on the site.

The appeals board considered the original proposed mast would “seriously injure” the residential amenity of the adjacent house to the south of the Eir Exchange site, which Tipperary County Council has also cited as its key reason for rejecting this latest application.

Cllr Andy Moloney from neighbouring Poulmucka said the Council’s decision was a relief for a lot of New Inn residents, particularly the owners of the house next to the Eir Exchange.

“This has been ongoing for the last number of years and it’s disappointing that eir made little effort to address the concerns of Tipperary County Council and An Bord Pleanála outlined in their previous decisions refusing the first application.”

If eir appeals Tipperary County County’s refusal of this second planning application, he hoped that An Bord Pleanála will maintain its previous position and also reject the application.

Cllr Máirín McGrath echoed his view. She said the residents living beside the Eir Exchange in New Inn will be thrilled with the council’s decision.

She said the second planning application eir submitted to the council to build a mast at this site was no real change to the first application.

“Eir more or less hadn’t explored any other options plus there was the proposed mast’s close proximity to the neighbouring house.
This decision will probably go to An Bord Pleanála and hopefully the board will stand over the council’s decision.