Brickens mast decision overturned by appeals board

A DECISION by Mayo County Council to reject plans for a 30-metre telecommunications mast at Brickens has been overturned on appeal.

An Bord Pleanála has given approval to Eircom to erect the structure at its exchange at Cuilbeg, Brickens, Claremorris.

The council's roads design office had recommended refusal based on the access to the site, which it considered to be a traffic hazard.

It was near a sharp bend on a public road, where there is a continuous white line and a 100kph speed limit, planners pointed out.

In its appeal, Eircom said the site has been an established communication installation for over 20 years and the mast would be an upgrade to existing infrastructure.

It would connect directly into the exchange building using fibre cabling which in turn will provide fast speed internet broadband and mobile connectivity to Eircom networks.

This fibre connection allows for less equipment requiring installation on the structure and an overall smaller structure on site.

Once constructed the site would not see an increase in the number of persons visiting and is only to be used two or three times annually to access equipment.

Therefore, the development would have no impact on traffic on the main road.

The site, the company submitted, is located within a coverage blackspot and this development was necessary. A mast at the site would provide excellent 3G and 4G services to the surrounding area, along the N60 and a number of townlands in the vicinity.

The development would allow for co-location in the future and for multiple other operators to share the same mast.

The appeals board agreed with their inspector's recommendation to grant planning and gave the development the green light.