New 80 Foot Mobile phone Mast in Castlebar

smallfry

This should concern everyone living in or around Castlebar, especially on the Newport Rd side of town.
A planning application has been lodged with Castlebar Town Council for the erection of an 80 foot mobile phone mast in a field adjacent to the Blackfort Manor estate.

This is a link to the application on the town council website;
http://www.mayococo.ie/PlanSearch/mcc4/PlanningViewer/CBRdisplayafile.asp?filenum=1113890&la=3

This mast will not only be visible for miles in every direction but there are a multitude of other reasons why it should not be given permission to be erected. I'm not going to list them out at this stage because I don't want to lose peoples interest in this post.

There's to be a public meeting called for next Thursday 24th Feburary 2011 in Castlebar with the time and venue to be confirmed. I'll post here when I have that info.

The planning strategy for these masts is to cluster them once one has been erected so I strongly urge anybody living in Castlebar to attend this meeting.

Sincerely,

smallfry

yop

I'd be interested to know outside of the visual affect that this mast will have.

Won't affect me as I am not over that side, but is it health concerns?

oscarBravo

smallfry wrote: »

This mast will not only be visible for miles in every direction...

That's kind of the point of a telecoms mast.

...but there are a multitude of other reasons why it should not be given permission to be erected. I'm not going to list them out at this stage because I don't want to lose peoples interest in this post.

Maybe you'd engage people's interest by listing the reasons.

PogMoThoin

Nimbyism at its finest.

I can understand the visual impact but I'm also very interested in hearing this multitude of other reasons too.

irishgeo

you got exact coordinates for this mast.

Cosmo Kramer

smallfry wrote: »

This should concern everyone living in or around Castlebar, especially on the Newport Rd side of town.
A planning application has been lodged with Castlebar Town Council for the erection of an 80 foot mobile phone mast in a field adjacent to the Blackfort Manor estate.

This is a link to the application on the town council website;
http://www.mayococo.ie/PlanSearch/mcc4/PlanningViewer/CBRdisplayafile.asp?filenum=1113890&la=3

This mast will not only be visible for miles in every direction but there are a multitude of other reasons why it should not be given permission to be erected. I'm not going to list them out at this stage because I don't want to lose peoples interest in this post.

There's to be a public meeting called for next Thursday 24th Feburary 2011 in Castlebar with the time and venue to be confirmed. I'll post here when I have that info.

The planning strategy for these masts is to cluster them once one has been erected so I strongly urge anybody living in Castlebar to attend this meeting.

Sincerely,

smallfry

smallfry wrote: »

Unlocking E51?
Hi,
I was wondering if this can be done for free?
I guess its been asked a load of times before but if someone can help or direct me to a previous thread ( can't seem to find a relevant one ) that would be much appreciated.

Need to unlock from 087 to use on 086.

Thanks in advance.

smallfry

How would you plan on using that E51 of yours without the phone masts you seem so set against?

threebeards

smallfry wrote: »

There's to be a public meeting called for next Thursday 24th Feburary 2011 in Castlebar with the time and venue to be confirmed. I'll post here when I have that info.

And every single person that attends that meeting would also have a gripe if they couldn't get a signal on their mobile phone. I agree 100% with Pog Mo Thoin - Nimbyism at its finest.

witnessrenegade

Their is nothing to look at in the Black Fort manor area that would be ruined by a mast, health concerns from masts have long been fixed, if you want coverage we need the mast, if you don't want your mobile to work properly, then campaign against it, simples

Head The Wall

Look around you OP, there are mobile phone antennas all around the towns and villages we live in. Look at steel ESB pylons, on the roofs of multi storey buildings, Garda station Masts etc, you would be surprised how many of these are already around the place.

Admit it, you just want something to complain about

oscarBravo

witnessrenegade wrote: »

...health concerns from masts have long been fixed...

They never existed outside of people's heads.

I know it's a waste of time bringing boring facts to an emotive issue, but trust me on this: I actually know what I'm talking about.

YouTookMyName

Isn't there a masssive garda tower in castlebar anyway? and no one bats an eye lid.

Cosmo Kramer

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Isn't there a masssive garda tower in castlebar anyway? and no one bats an eye lid.

Yes, The Eiffel Tower, right in the middle of town.

oscarBravo

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Isn't there a masssive garda tower in castlebar anyway? and no one bats an eye lid.

Well, there's a smallish Garda tower (roughly similar in height to the planned one the OP is objecting to) in the heart of the town right beside the huge ex-Eircom tower, as well as the ESB tower, the one at the railway station, and lots and lots of other cell sites that people may or may not be aware of. It's how our mobile phones (among other things) work - when they do.

irishgeo

http://www.askcomreg.ie/mobile/siteviewer.273.LE.asp

i can see 14 mobile masts listed in castlebar on the map above.

1 on St marys Hospital , More than likely the tower beside it.
3 masts located behind the court house on the eircom mast no doubt.
1 on Ellison St, i am not sure what building its on.
2 on the ESB tower
1 on shamble st,
1 near the church in the car park
1 on the pontoon RD near the greenfields estate
1 on the ballinrobe rd , the train station
2 on the balla rd.

smallfry

Thanks everybody for your comments and opinions.
The meeting is on at 8 o clock in the Travellers Friend this Thursday night 24th Feb 2011.

I hope anybody with an interest in the area can make it to the meeting.

Thanks again,

smallfry

oscarBravo

No, seriously. Why don't you want to talk about the "multitude of reasons" for objecting to the mast?

yop

smallfry wrote: »

Thanks everybody for your comments and opinions.
The meeting is on at 8 o clock in the Travellers Friend this Thursday night 24th Feb 2011.

I hope anybody with an interest in the area can make it to the meeting.

Thanks again,

smallfry

Meeting about what exactly? As stated there are masted spread all over the county and country.
Why is this mast any different and again we ask for the reasons.

If you have legit reasons as to why this shouldn't be there thats understandable.

finisklin

yop wrote: »

Meeting about what exactly? As stated there are masted spread all over the county and country.
Why is this mast any different and again we ask for the reasons.

If you have legit reasons as to why this shouldn't be there thats understandable.

Maybe go the meeting and find out......this guy has pointed out that he is concerned and he may not feel comfortable using this forum to point them out hence the meeting.......

By attending the meeting you can also voice your concern at his concern(s), face to face. Meeting's are good like that......;)

Who knows he may be less concerned when you point out your concern at his concern(s). It could address it 100%.

finisklin

Seems this has gathered momentum.....

Huge opposition to Lough Lannagh mast


Trevor Quinn

A meeting to discuss an installation application for a 24-metre (79ft) telecommunications mast, which is proposed to be located adjacent to the Newport Road side of Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, will take place on Thursday, February 24, at the TF Royal Hotel at 8pm.

The issue has generated much debate in the local area recently, and concerned residents are keen to air their views and opinions on the matter. The proposed mast will be situated close to St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, school and De La Salle Sports Hall, and parents and members of the wider community fear it will raise new security concerns in the area.

Residents and rental property owners of Blackfort, Garryduff, Hazel Grove, Patrician Park, Pound Road, Newport Road, parents and guardians of students at St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, and all interested parties in the estates in the surrounding area are asked to attend the meeting on Thursday evening.

The conservation of the area around Lough Lannagh is a subject which many local residents feel strongly about, and the organisers of the meeting hope there will be a large gathering to debate this proposed development. They plan to form a committee and formulate a definitive course of action against the application before an official letter of objection is lodged.
One local resident who spoke with The Mayo News said that Councillors Therese Ruane, Michael Kilcoyne and Ger Deere were liaising with locals and the Town Council in relation to the proposed mast. “We’re getting people together to discuss this matter”. She said that the residents of Blackfort Manor had arranged a meeting in recent days, and now the residents were keen to speak with residents in the surrounding areas, as well as the large number of people who use the local amenity.

Commenting, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said: “The proposed site for the telephone mast is probably the most unsuitable place in Mayo,” before adding, “I will do anything that I can do to assist the residents. “This development could have huge implications for the health of the people and under no circumstances should it be granted.”

Cllr Kilcoyne added that if the controversial planning application was approved the elected members of the the Town Council should sanction a Section 140 notice against the development.

A local resident said for the people of Castlebar, the proposed location for the 78.8 feet high structure at Lough Lannagh was akin to putting up a mast near the River Moy in Ballina or the Mall in Westport. The local residents have been advised that the technicians who are being lined up to work on the proposed mast have instructions to stay a considerable distance away from it unless it’s powered off, causing the local residents to wonder what it would be like living under its considerable shadow.

irishgeo

finisklin wrote: »

Seems this has gathered momentum.....

Huge opposition to Lough Lannagh mast


Trevor Quinn

A meeting to discuss an installation application for a 24-metre (79ft) telecommunications mast, which is proposed to be located adjacent to the Newport Road side of Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, will take place on Thursday, February 24, at the TF Royal Hotel at 8pm.

The issue has generated much debate in the local area recently, and concerned residents are keen to air their views and opinions on the matter. The proposed mast will be situated close to St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, school and De La Salle Sports Hall, and parents and members of the wider community fear it will raise new security concerns in the area.

Residents and rental property owners of Blackfort, Garryduff, Hazel Grove, Patrician Park, Pound Road, Newport Road, parents and guardians of students at St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, and all interested parties in the estates in the surrounding area are asked to attend the meeting on Thursday evening.

The conservation of the area around Lough Lannagh is a subject which many local residents feel strongly about, and the organisers of the meeting hope there will be a large gathering to debate this proposed development. They plan to form a committee and formulate a definitive course of action against the application before an official letter of objection is lodged.
One local resident who spoke with The Mayo News said that Councillors Therese Ruane, Michael Kilcoyne and Ger Deere were liaising with locals and the Town Council in relation to the proposed mast. “We’re getting people together to discuss this matter”. She said that the residents of Blackfort Manor had arranged a meeting in recent days, and now the residents were keen to speak with residents in the surrounding areas, as well as the large number of people who use the local amenity.

Commenting, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said: “The proposed site for the telephone mast is probably the most unsuitable place in Mayo,” before adding, “I will do anything that I can do to assist the residents. “This development could have huge implications for the health of the people and under no circumstances should it be granted.”

Cllr Kilcoyne added that if the controversial planning application was approved the elected members of the the Town Council should sanction a Section 140 notice against the development.

A local resident said for the people of Castlebar, the proposed location for the 78.8 feet high structure at Lough Lannagh was akin to putting up a mast near the River Moy in Ballina or the Mall in Westport. The local residents have been advised that the technicians who are being lined up to work on the proposed mast have instructions to stay a considerable distance away from it unless it’s powered off, causing the local residents to wonder what it would be like living under its considerable shadow.

secujrity concerns from a mast. health maybe but security ,

the second bold bit.
thats the biggest load of clap trap ever, the mast is not going to powered on when its being put up. if they have to stay away from it when its on, how are they going to get near it to power it off.

oscarBravo

I'd love to know what's meant by the "security" issue alright. The health issue is the usual steaming pile of horse****. The only aspect that might have any merit is the question of visual impact, but I can't help feeling that even that is overstated.

Sugarfree

I'm 100% against the mast...............damn this is taking me ages to post from my iphone. Why dont they do something about the phone reception round here??

mayo.mick

Sugarfree wrote: »

I'm 100% against the mast...............damn this is taking me ages to post from my iphone. Why dont they do something about the phone reception round here??

:rolleyes::pac::pac::pac:

Meesared

God i used to work in a phone shop, and i had a conversation with a guy about a Three mast going up in his locality, which he was staunchly opposed to, not 3 months later i had the same guy in complaining he couldnt get mobile broadband...

Some people just loooove complaining about something

Cosmo Kramer

finisklin wrote: »

Commenting, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said: “The proposed site for the telephone mast is probably the most unsuitable place in Mayo,” before adding, “I will do anything that I can do to assist the residents. “This development could have huge implications for the health of the people and under no circumstances should it be granted.”

Cllr Kilcoyne added that if the controversial planning application was approved the elected members of the the Town Council should sanction a Section 140 notice against the development.

A local resident said for the people of Castlebar, the proposed location for the 78.8 feet high structure at Lough Lannagh was akin to putting up a mast near the River Moy in Ballina or the Mall in Westport. The local residents have been advised that the technicians who are being lined up to work on the proposed mast have instructions to stay a considerable distance away from it unless it’s powered off, causing the local residents to wonder what it would be like living under its considerable shadow.

Disappointed but not surprised to see election candidates latching onto this non-issue to try and win votes. I can only have a small say on Friday in terms of the overall election in Mayo but a potentially valuable lower preference vote I was going to give to Kilcoyne will not be going his way now.

oscarBravo

I couldn't go to the meeting, was watching Brian Dennehy play the Bull McCabe.

Did anyone go? Did we find out what the security issues are?

Paparazzo

The rubbish from the councilmen is unreal. If anyone wants a textbook example of nimbyism, this is the thread. Inventing security and health reasons. Another favorite is "it will reduce house prices".

irishgeo

Paparazzo wrote: »

The rubbish from the councilmen is unreal. If anyone wants a textbook example of nimbyism, this is the thread. Inventing security and health reasons. Another favorite is "it will reduce house prices".

they are on the floor anyway.

Bob the Builder

I wouldn't worry too much about what Cllr. Kilcoyne says. He blows in whatever direction the wind blows in. I'm sure he's gotten an extra 30 votes for that newspaper report.

I'm afraid I can't necessarily see the implications of the mast? The health concerns have been dealt by leaving it that far away from residential houses? And if you are worried about what a mast is doing to your head, then think of what a phone is doing to your head when you use it?

oscarBravo

Bob the Builder wrote: »

The health concerns...

...are non-existent. Seriously, can we stop perpetuating the myth that there was ever anything to worry about from being in proximity to a mobile cell site?

ComReg do hundreds if not thousands of non-ionising radiation surveys all over the country every year. Not one cell site has ever come within an ass's roar of the maximum "safe" radiation levels, and even they are hugely conservative.

And if you are worried about what a mast is doing to your head, then think of what a phone is doing to your head when you use it?

Precisely. Your exposure to NIR from a mobile handset is orders of magnitude higher than from a cellphone mast, even if you're standing at the fence that surrounds it.

But again, I know I'm onto a loser here using stupid pointless things like maths and science to combat irrational fears and ignorance.

Oldtree

See here to see what ABP think about visual amenity:

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/226389.htm

I'm sure I read recently in the new scientist that there are new small black box devices that can be used instead of masts in town and cities that can be put atop, and powered by, lampposts!

oscarBravo

Oldtree wrote: »

See here to see what ABP think about visual amenity:

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/226389.htm

Well, sure. If there's a good visual amenity argument - like a sensitive rural scenic area - it's fair enough to object.

I don't have a problem with good, well-reasoned objections to planning applications for mobile towers. I do have an issue with scatter-gun objections ranging from "it's right in the middle of Lough Lannagh" through "our children will be microwaved in their beds" all the way up to the still-mysterious security concerns.

I'm sure I read recently in the new scientist that there are new small black box devices that can be used instead of masts in town and cities that can be put atop, and powered by, lampposts!

Small black boxes are all well and good, but you can't cover much of an area from the top of a lamppost, there's only so much spectrum available for multiple smaller cells, and it's hard to design a decent antenna that fits in a black box.

The laws of physics tend not to be sympathetic to people's irrational (or indeed rational) concerns. Providing decent mobile coverage is hard, and it's not helped by silly objections.

Paparazzo

Any indication of the security concerns? Have castlebar county council have CIA information that al qaeda want to fly a 747 into the proposed mast?

Oldtree

Citizens are entitled to object/observe on any planning application, silly or otherwise. If the observation is silly or not based on a legitimate planning issue it will be rightly ignored, so don't worry about it.

My own belief is that we rely and will rely on tourism for a large part of our fiscal and jobs recovery and what is expected by tourists is a beauitiful clean green landscape. Eco tourism is imo where our future is and anything we can do to augment this business is now a necessity.

The Ballinrobe mast is enormous and visible in the landscape from roads for miles around, and the issue is not the visual appeal but that the mast dominates the landscape and draws the eye. I am not for taking it down but i feel we should be careful with the balance of how we proceed with both masts and wind turbines and any large development in the landscape.

oscarBravo

Oldtree wrote: »

...what is expected by tourists is a beauitiful clean green landscape.

In Castlebar town?

jimmycrackcorm

Oldtree wrote: »

My own belief is that we rely and will rely on tourism for a large part of our fiscal and jobs recovery and what is expected by tourists is a beauitiful clean green landscape. Eco tourism is imo where our future is and anything we can do to augment this business is now a necessity.

Don't tourist use mobile phones?
Don't they have masts where they come from?
What's this Eco-tourism - do you mean tourist want to come here and only see horse and carts and listen to people say begorrah?

Oldtree

While eco tourism may sound twee it is a developing and sustainable future. Having left in the 80's I am acutely aware of the increase of up to 1000 young people leaving Ireland a week and do not want my children brought up for export.

Driving into Castlebar from the Ballinrobe side the wind turbines are clearly visible from a few miles away amongst a green and hilly landscape. I am suggesting care and awareness in the placement of masts, not that we do without them and return to being a rural backwater of the 50's.

The planning system and laws and develpoment plans are there not only to push forward development but to protect our natural assets.

PogMoThoin

Whatever about masts, I see wind turbines as things of beauty which show us as making use of one of the best resources, there isn't half enough of them.

yop

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Whatever about masts, I see wind turbines as things of beauty which show us as making use of one of the best resources, there isn't half enough of them.

Absolutely, I think they are class to watch from a distance. Was out running by them this morning and they are really immense.

I don't agree with masts been in the wrong place but that said if we can't get our internet access or get our phonecalls then eco tourism isn't going to save our County.

Oldtree

Turbines can be mesmerising.

We are already way behind with internet access and optic fibre access is common place in London and unlightly to be put in place here in Mayo leaving us at a serious disadvantage.

I dont see any one thing saving our country, I see 100's of efforts doing just that. That is why I believe that we have to think about what we do on many levels and try to value them assuch.

PogMoThoin

Miles behind in WiMax and LTE coverage too

yop

Oldtree wrote: »

Turbines can be mesmerising.

We are already way behind with internet access and optic fibre access is common place in London and unlightly to be put in place here in Mayo leaving us at a serious disadvantage.

I dont see any one thing saving our country, I see 100's of efforts doing just that. That is why I believe that we have to think about what we do on many levels and try to value them assuch.

Well hopefully and as "local" as this sounds, with Mr Kenny at the head of the Government then MAYBE we might get something down this way.
Fair point there are many many things which we have and could/should work on. But we need to mix them correctly, tourism is a great thing and we have great natural beauty in our County, but I do also think that turbines, tastyfully placed, could provide us with a large % of our power needs.

On the internet side of things vast areas of Mayo don't have wired broadband and if it was for the likes of Westnet a lot of us would be without.

Oldtree

Sadly I think that the turbines are going to end up as white elephants. I won't rehash the arguments other than to refer to a previous thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055393679

But I agree that the right turbine in the right place. I dont think that onshore turbines will make any real dent in our power needs, imo subsidised startup and running will never make it commercially viable, but I do think there is a real solution in massive offshore combined wind and wave farms (minding those lovely undersea reefs that we have comperable to the red sea!)

Oldtree

Another invallid application. I wonder weather these companies use a planning application to guage public opinion, rather than as planning best practice guidelines suggests that it is a good idea for public consultation before the planning application is lodged!