County Council rejects plan for new mast in Baltimore

BALTIMORE residents have welcomed Cork County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a new telecommunications mast that would almost be as tall as the village’s famous Beacon.

The Council said the location of a new 15m mast at Cliff Estate in the village centre would ‘seriously injure the residential amenities and depreciate the value of nearby properties’.

By reason of proximity and visual intrusion, the planning authority claimed it would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

An estimated 45 submissions were made by residents, who objected to an application by Eir to erect the telecommunications monopole, antennas, dishes, and equipment – all of which were to be enclosed by security fencing.

Locals believe the existing 7m wooden mast is serving the area well and that it did not need to be doubled in size. Many feared the 15m monopole would rival Baltimore’s 15.2m Beacon for all the wrong reasons.

The Council held that ‘the height and proximity of the proposed structure relative to existing residential properties’ would be a visual intrusion.

The local authority stated that by virtue of its height, scale, and location, within a high value landscape, the development would be in contravention of the local authority’s own 2022 development plan. The Council said the development plan seeks to protect and enhance the attractive coastal setting and the landscape character of the village.