EirGrid says no compensation over planning notice blunder

The North-East Pylon Pressure campaign group (NEPP) says it has been told EirGrid will not compensate it for the significant costs incurred in participating in the oral hearing into its planning application for the Meath-Tyrone interconnector, which EirGrid halted abruptly by withdrawing its application. In a letter to NEPP, Eirgrid stated: “EirGrid must always consider its functions and duties in the course of its decision making and, having done so, does not believe it has any reasonable basis for agreeing to pay NEPP’s costs...EirGrid believes that it took the correct action in minimising the costs incurred by all concerned by withdrawing when it became aware of the error. In these circumstances, your request for payment of costs must therefore be refused.” In a debate on the 'Frontline’ TV programme last week, an EirGrid spokesperson admitted the loss of the money was “unfortunate” but that EirGrid would be pressing ahead with a new planning application in the new year. The Bord Pleanala oral hearing into the planned EirGrid 400kV interconnecter across Meath, Cavan and Tyrone was dramatically adjourned earlier this year after it emerged that the newspaper public notice and site notice did not accurately describe the plan. The height range of the electricity transmission pylons was not as originally indicated and the planning notice did not correspond with the file. Aimee Treacy, chairperson of NEPP, said: “This is an outrageous response from EirGrid. The people of the north-east raised significant funds to examine acceptable alternatives, especially undergrounding the cables. They have never resorted to any activities other than those of dialogue and persuasion, based on well-researched evidence. “They have participated fully with the oral hearing process and have, at all times, behaved in a respectful and professional manner.” She said that in response to this, they have been met by a semi-state company which has shown total disregard for its duties and responsibilities to the very public that it is charged with serving. “It is unacceptable that EirGrid, who, through the taxpayer, had access to unlimited resources and consultant expertise, could be allowed to submit such a shoddy application, then withdraw it whenever it suited, and then walk away with no apparent accountability or penalties. This is an injustice to the people of the north-east. EirGrid may or may not have a statutory obligation to reimburse the public participants and voluntary groups for their reasonable costs, but they certainly have a moral obligation to do so,” Ms Treacy added. In a separate but related development, NEPP has been informed that its request to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for EirGrid to be brought in front of the committee and held to account for the significant waste of taxpayers money as a result of its shoddy planning application, has been refused. “This is a further slap in the face to the people of the north-east,” Ms Treacy added. “Where is the sense of accountability, responsibility and justice in the democratic process? The Joint Oireachtas Committee has a duty of care to the public to properly represent their issues and to, in particular, scrutinise and challenge the waste of public resources by a semi-state organisation. The 'washing our hands of this issue’ response is simply not good enough.” NEPP is inviting an appropriate elected representative from each political party to a public meeting on Monday 29th November in the Headfort Arms Hotel, Kells, to outline what actions, if any, their party intends to take in relation to EirGrid’s activities and plans. “The purpose of the meeting is to determine if the people of the north-east are being properly represented on this issue, and if not, what actions are needed going forward,” added the NEPP spokesperson. NEPP is currently organising 'The Great North East Christmas Cycling Challenge’ for 28th December as a show of unity for its continuing campaign and as a fundraising support to challenging EirGrid’s next application. Fine Gael Deputy agriculture spokesperson, TD Shane McEntee, has called for EirGrid to recoup any fees that it paid to ESB International for drawing up plans to install overground power lines and pylons in Meath, Monaghan and Cavan. The plans, which were reviewed by EirGrid and other consultants, inadvertently provided the incorrect mast height information along with other inaccuracies and resulted in the withdrawal of the planning application by EirGrid. He said: “NEPP and the Monaghan Anti-Pylon Group have spent a huge amount of money, most of which was their own, and it is only right that they should be compensated. Unfortunately, the inadequacy of current planning legislation does not allow for an easier process to correct small errors in planning applications. Multiple draughts of the public notice were reviewed by EirGrid and it is hard to believe that none of the inaccuracies were picked up at any stage.”