Decision to permit 33m telecommunications tower in Ardee goes to appeal

The decision to grant planning permission for a 33 metre lattice mobile and broadband tower in Ardee has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála on a number of grounds.

Louth County Council granted conditional planning permission to On Tower Ireland Limited, with an address at Q House, 76 Furze Road, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18, for the tower last month. According to the planning application, the development would comprise a 33 meter lattice mobile and broadband tower with headframe carrying telecommunications equipment, together with associated equipment and cabinets within a 2.4m palisade fence compound with access track, at Cappocksgreen, Ardee, Co Louth.

A submission had been made to Louth County Council, objecting to the tower by Mr Vincent Matthews on a number of grounds, including in relation to site ownership, lack of consent for use of proposed access road, and inappropriate location for broadband tower. 

Louth County Council gave the go ahead for the tower on 15 September and following this, an appeal against the decision was then made to An Bord Pleanála on 12 October by Mr Matthews. Among the several grounds for appeal submitted, was a lack of consent for use of proposed access road, inappropriate location for broadband tower, and that the applicant has not demonstrated any exceptional circumstances that would justify locating the proposed development in a residential area.

Submissions are due on the appeal by 10 November 2022.