Important information about the Eirgrid North-South Interconnector;

Eirgrid has lodged an application for planning permission for this development with An Bord Pleanala. The 10 week statutory public consultation period has commenced. This development proposes to erect pylons and overhead cables on the Ballybay side of Doohamlet. This will not just impact farmers and landowners who live along the route - it may have wider implications for our community.

'On 16th June 2015 a ten-week period of statutory public consultation commenced in respect of the planning application for the North-South 400kV Interconnection Development. The application documentation, including the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) is available for public viewing/downloading on the dedicated planning application website at www.eirgridnorthsouthinterconnector.ie.

The documentation will be on public display during this ten-week period at the offices of – •An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1 •Meath County Council, County Hall. Navan, County Meath •Cavan County Council, Cavan Courthouse, Farnham Street, Cavan, County Cavan •Monaghan County Council, County offices, The Glen, Monaghan, County Monaghan The documentation is also available for viewing at EirGrid’s Project Information Centres, the locations of which can be seen on the right hand side of this page. All three Information Centres will be open from Tuesday 16th June until Monday 22nd June (excluding Saturday and Sunday) and again at the end of the consultation period, from Monday 17th August to Friday 21st August. During the intervening weeks they will be open during the days and hours stated on the right hand side of this page.

Submissions or observations in respect of the application can only be made to An Bord Pleanála and must be received by An Bord Pleanála no later than 5.30 p.m. on Monday 24th August 2015'.

A €50 submission fee applies to every submission - why not consult with neighbours or friends and combine your submissions to reduce the submission fee....

We urge everyone to have a look at the proposed development, and if you have any concerns to make a submission to An Bord Pleanala. The closing date for submissions is 25th August 2015 - more information is available here;

Eirgrid Final Re-Evaluation report Submission, September 2013

Below is the most recent submission by the DDCDA on behalf of the Community, dated 1st September 2013;

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Final Re-Evaluation Report, May 2013

The Doohamlet District Community Development Association (DDCDA) represents the community of the village and environs of Doohamlet, County Monaghan.

We welcome the fact that Eirgrid will not seek permission for ‘micro-siting’ of towers in it’s application to An Bord Pleanala, as this will allow concerned citizens an opportunity to fully understand the impact of the proposed development.

Following the Community Meetings held locally in May 2013, we have concerns that some of the assessment criteria considered at the “Preferred Route Corridor” stage have not been equally applied within the more detailed “Line Design” stage. It appears that landscape and environmental design considerations are prioritised at the higher “Preferred Route Corridor” level, while at “Line Design” stage technical and landowner considerations have been prioritised. For example, we note that in our area alterations to the tower locations are proposed as a result of a development granted planning permission in 2011. We wonder whether this amendment is resulting in bigger impacts to our area in terms of the landscape, environment etc. An open and transparent basis for prioritisation and consideration of constraints within the Line Design is required.

Furthermore, an informed assessment of the proposed development cannot be fully made until the Environmental Impact Assessment has been completed and details of proposed mitigation measures and any subsequent line changes are proposed.

The DDCDA remains concerned that the proposed development will negatively impact residents and members of our community and that our landscape and environs are being sacrificed for the protection and prioritisation of other areas. 

Yours sincerely,

 ____________________

Teddy Duffy

Chairperson, Doohamlet District Community Development Association

 

Submission to Eirgrid Final Re-Evaluation Report

Following the publication of Eirgrid's Final Re-Evaluation Report in April 2013 and their responses to the issues raised by the DDCDA in Appendix B of the report, we have made the following submission;

C/O Eirgrid NS Project Manager,

Block 2, Floor 2, West Pier Business Campus,

Dun Laoghaire,

Co. Dublin

3rd May 2013 

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Final Re-Evaluation Report, May 2013

The Doohamlet District Community Development Association (DDCDA) represents the community of the village and environs of Doohamlet, County Monaghan.

Further to the publication of the Final Re-Evaluation Report in April 2013 the DDCDA notes that while the Final Re-Evaluation Report attempts to respond to the issues raised,  many of the concerns raised by our Association (Submission FS-16) are to be dealt with in the Environmental Impact Statement, the Preferred Project Solution Report, the preferred line design and at the detailed design phase. Without evidence at this time that these issues are suitably being taken into account, we feel it is premature to comment on Eirgrid’s response at this stage.  

The DDCDA remains concerned that the proposed development will negatively impact residents and members of our community and that our landscape and environs are being sacrificed for the protection and prioritisation of other areas.  

Yours sincerely,

Chairperson,

Doohamlet District Community Development Association

Eirgrid Public Engagement, May/April 2013

Eirgrid has advised it is having a public engagement in relation to the North-South 400kV Interconnector.

Having undertaken a re-evaluation of the project, Eirgrid has determined that the proposed scheme should proceed in a largely similar guise to that previously proposed, namely that;

• The project should be a 400kV overhead line;
• The previously proposed substation near Kingscourt will not be included in the new planning application;
• The indicative line route for the overhead line is similar to the previously proposed line route but incorporates some modifications.

The next stage of the project will involve consideration of anyt feedback that you may have and the production and publication of a further report called the "Preferred Project Solution Report". This report will also be the subject of further public and landowner consultation.

To find out more about the scheme to date and the next stage of the process, go to Eirgrid's North-South Interconnector webpage.

The final re-evaluation report is also available to download - a response to the submission made by the Doohamlet District Community Development Association is included in Section 2.17 SUBMISSION FS-16 (Page B-47).

Feedback will be accepted up until the 27th May 2013 - to inform the public a series of information days will be held in April and May in Cavan, Carrickmacross and Navan;

• Tuesday 23rd April, 1pm - 8pm, Town Hall Cavan
• Wednesday April 24th, 1pm - 8pm, Town Hall Cavan
• Thursday April 25th, 1pm - 8pm, The Workhouse, Shercock Rd., Carrickmacross
• Friday April 26th, 1pm - 8pm, The Workhouse, Shercock Rd., Carrickmacross
• Monday April 29th, 1pm - 8pm, Navan Education Centre
• Wednesday May 1st, 1pm - 8pm, Navan Education Centre

The DDCDA encourages all local people to make themselves aware of the current Eirgrid proposals and to check the indicative line of the route to see whether there is any potential increased impact on them.

Eirgrid - Submission for Non Statutory Public Consultation

The DDCDA are making a submission to Eirgrid on behalf of the community of Doohamlet in relation to their preliminary re-evaluation report. The DDCDA submission is available to download here.

Details of this current stage of the development are available from the Eirgrid Website or by looking back over other Eirgrid related posts on this blog.

Eirgrid Community Update, May 2011

Eirgrid have circulated information relating to progress on the proposed 400kV North-South Interconnector, which is planned to pass through our area. Eirgrid have prepared a preliminary re-evaluation report which reviews the issues raised during the previous Strategic Infrastructure Act Application made to An Bord Pleanala in 2009 (and subsequently withdrawn during the Oral Hearing Stage in 2010). A non-statutory consultation process is now taking place in relation to the re-evaluation report.

The DDCDA intends to make a submission in relation to the non-statutory consultation on behalf of the community of Doohamlet. Details of the re-evaluation report are available to download from the Eirgrid website, or are available to view in;

Carrickmacross Information Centre, The Workhouse, Shercock Road, Carrickmacrosson Wednesdays between 1pm and 7pm.

Alternatively phone 1890 25 26 90 or email NorthSouth@eirgrid.com for more information.

The closing date for submissions for this phase of the project is the 17th June 2011.

Whooper Swans 2010/2011

WATCH OUT FOR WHOOPER SWANS IN OUR AREA!

In 2009/2010 Eirgrid submitted a planning application for the north-south interconnector under the strategic infrastructure act. This application would have meant the construction of tall pylons across the landscape west of Doohamlet village - the environmental, aesthetic and health implications were questioned at length during an oral hearing held in June 2010 before the project was subsequently withdrawn by Eirgrid due to a technical error in their planning application.

We have since been informed that Eirgrid are exploring the route options again before identifying their preferred route and submitting a new planning application under the strategic infrastructure act. It is not yet clear whether the route will follow the same line as the previous planning application, or whether a new route will be selected.

In the previous planning application, it was identified that Eirgrid's environmental impact report did not reflect the number of whooper swans who spend the winter months in County Monaghan. Whooper swans are winter migrants from Iceland. They return to the Doohamlet area every year over the winter months and can be seen grazing on grassland, especially at Ballintra and in the Tonyscallon area. They are identified by their yellow beak (mute swans have orange beaks). Not enough is known about the movements of the whooper swans in our locality - how many are there, do they move from site to site during the day, do they spend a number of days in one location before moving on, do they roost in the same place every night etc?

The importance of the whooper swan is not yet known, but their returning to this area every year may play a vital role in a decision about where and what form Eirgrid's proposed north-south interconnector may take in our locality.

We are asking local residents to keep watch for our annual visitors and if possible to keep some notes about their activities. Photographs will be very useful in verifying any information collected, so take this opportunity to take some wonderful wildlife photos of these beautiful birds - you'd never know, we may have a budding David Attenborough in our midst.

Eirgrid Oral Hearing

An Bord Pleanala is currently considering an application by Eirgrid to run a 400kV electricity transmission line through County Monaghan and west of Doohamlet village. The application has been made under the Strategic Infrastructure Act. The oral hearing for the proposed North-South Interconnector started on the 10th May 2010 and will run until mid July. It is being held in the Nuremore Hotel in Carrickmacross and members of the public are welcome to attend at any stage.
Groups and individuals from Monaghan who had made written submissions during the public consultation process were invited to make oral submissions at the oral hearing between Tuesday 1st June and Thursday 3rd June. The Doohamlet District Community Development Association made our submission on Wednesday, 2nd June.
A copy of the oral hearing submission is available to download here: http://www.doohamlet.com/Downloads/Eirgrid_Oral_Hearing_Submission.pdf
It is hoped An Board Pleanal will make a decision of the proposed development in late 2010.

Eirgrid Oral Hearing

The DDCDA has made a submission on behalf of the whole community to Eirgrid in relation to the North-South 400kV Interconnector which runs north and west of Doohamlet village. A copy of the submission is available to download here; http://doohamlet.com/Submission_to_An_Bord_Pleanala_re_Eirgrid_March_2010.pdf

An Oral Hearing is now being organised - the DDCDA intends to make an oral submission at the Oral Hearing.

The Oral Hearing is scheduled to start on Monday 10th May and will be held in the Nuremore Hotel. It may run on for several days or weeks. Details of the agenda and timescale will not be known until a preliminary hearing has first taken place on the 27th and 28th April.

If you have made a submission and would like the DDCDA to represent you as an "Umbrella Group" at the Oral Hearing as outlined in An Bord Pleanala's letter of 13th April, please let PJ, Paula or Roisin know.

Eirgrid Submission

The DDCDA has made a submission on behalf of the whole community to Eirgrid in relation to the North-South 400kV Interconnector which runs north and west of Doohamlet village. The DDCDA submission was lodged on the 4th March 2010. The closing date for receipt of submissions was 12th March 2010.
An Bord Pleanala will now start reviewing all of the submissions made by all interested parties and will hold an Oral Hearing. Further information and updates about this case can be found on An Bord Pleanala's website; http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/VA0006.htm