Tourmakeady residents lodge petition over esb poles

UP to 100 residents of Tourmakeady have signed a petition opposing a plan by the ESB to erect poles across large tracts of farming land in order to provide an additional electricity supply to the water treatment plant in the village.

A letter of protest submitted to Mayo County Council argued the increased number of poles and stays will greatly affect current farming capabilities.

It continued: “The value of our land will diminish and when all is completed we will be left with an excessive number of poles and a maze of cables. We feel that it will horribly pollute and spoil this part of Tourmakeady, with the massive array of criss-cross wiring adding more to what is already here.

“There is a very strong feeling amongst our group that there has been a lot of give and take with work regarding the water treatment plant in the past. The community has worked well with Mayo County Council and now Irish Water to accommodate areas of their property to be used for pipe laying and have accepted the disturbance and disruption to their land that has been caused over a number of years.

“Now there is general agreement that greater consideration should be given to this issue and the overall concerns of the community, which believes all avenues of dealing with the proposals have not been explored.”

The members of Coiste Pobail Thuar Mhic Éadaigh sub-committee have called for a re-evaluation of the proposal.