Towercom says controversial Glasson mast will go ahead

The company planning to operate a controversial 18-metre telecommunications mast next to a house on the outskirts of Glasson said this week that it will go ahead, despite local residents proposing an alternative site for the development.

Eircom Ltd, trading as Eir, was granted planning permission in 2021 for an 18-metre mast, or monopole, at the existing Eir exchange on the Ballymahon Road, between Glasson village and Tubberclair GAA Club.

However, a number of locals are strongly opposed to the development, including Edel Finneran who said it would be situated just three metres from the boundary wall of her house. A public meeting in opposition to the mast took place in Glasson in April and was attended by more than 80 people, including Oireachtas members and other local politicians.

More recently, on September 29, there was a meeting on site between local residents, TD Robert Troy, and representatives of Towercom, the company operating the mast development.

At this meeting the residents reiterated their calls for the mast to be relocated, suggesting Towercom should speak to the nearby Tubberclair GAA Club about a possible alternative location for it.

Robert Troy, who helped organise the recent meeting, said it was his understanding that the GAA club would be receptive to discussing an alternative site with Towercom, and he hoped the company would give this serious consideration.

"I think there's an opportunity here for common sense to prevail," Deputy Troy told the Westmeath Independent on Monday afternoon.

"There is a proposal for an alternative site, and I think Towercom should give it due consideration and look to go down that road."

The Westmeath Independent asked Towercom if the company was open to considering an alternative location for the mast.

In response, the company issued a brief statement on Tuesday morning, which made no reference to a change of location.

The statement issued by company representative John Gallagher was headed: Enhanced mobile broadband for businesses and homes planned for Glasson.

It read: "Towercom has been granted full planning permission to provide improved mobile broadband facilities at Glasson, Co. Westmeath. The site has been in use for land and mobile based telecoms services for the past number of decades.

"The new services will consolidate effective delivery of high speed mobile telephony in response to greatly increased demand from home and business users in the area, is a critical part of the telecommunications network, and responds to government requirements and targets.

"Work on the site will be undertaken as part of the company's roll-out of approximately 400 similar sites countrywide," Towercom concluded.

A statement which local residents had issued last week said the planned mast would be "the nearest multi-server mast beside a house in rural Ireland".

"Residents acknowledge that this is vital infrastructure and reaffirm their commitment to work with Towercom to seek a suitable location for the mast that is not within metres of a house," the statement read.

"Residents affirm that building a multi-server mast three metres from the boundary wall of the house, beside the Eir exchange, will seriously injure residential amenity and will have a serious visual impact on the area."

While the county council's planning approval for the Glasson mast was upheld by An Bord Pleanála two years ago, the residents pointed out that the board had since "refused permission for similar structures in New Inn and Cloughjordan" this year, because these would "seriously injure" residential amenity.