18m high free-standing mast plans beside Boden GAA Club

FURTHER information has been received by South Dublin County Council in relation to the proposed construction of a telecommunications mast in Ballyboden, by Hayden Moore.

Cignal Infrastructure Ltd are seeking permission to erect an 18m high free-standing street-pole with an alpha 2.0 shrouded antenna and 300m dish on the Firhouse Road.

According to the planning statement, as prepared by David Mulcahy Planning Consultants Ltd on behalf of the applicant, the “vast residential area” in the locality has “very poor mobile coverage all around this area for Eir”.

The site in question is on a grass verge just outside Ballyboden St Enda’s and with poor coverage for Eir customers, the telecommunications company “approved this area as trees not as high as surrounding options”.

In the application to the council, it states that Eir is upgrading its network in Dublin to provide customers with “good quality voice and high-speed data services”.

This decision to seek permission was made as a means to meet customer demands, with a new site at this location “required to provide indoor service” and improve coverage for residents and commuters as Eir’s coverage “suffers from a lack of dominance”.

According to maps included in the application, a telecommunications mast belonging to Vodafone in Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA Club grounds aside, there is a lack of telecommunications infrastructure in the vicinity.

The applicant has stated that the site provider, Ballyboden St  Enda’s, is not willing to pursue additional coverage at this site.

The 300m dish aspect of the proposed development is only to be included if there is no fibre infrastructure in the area and a 1.64m high ancillary cabinet makes up the remainder of the proposal.

The local authority requested additional information on the basis that it is “unclear what impact the proposal would have on existing services, street trees” and the existing road network.

The applicant is requested to submit a plan showing the location of underground services and the impact this plan would have on them.

A drawing plan which takes in all surrounding infrastructure in relation to existing adjacent watermains, which also shows its compliance with Irish Water Standard Details.

Additional information was received by the council on June 28, with a decision due on October 18.