IFA tried to boost payouts for land under power lines
Sunday September 27 2009
THE Irish Farmers' Association held talks with local authorities in order to boost the compensation it was negotiating for landowners whose property fell into the path of a planned high voltage power lines.
The IFA, in an agreement with Eirgrid, advised affected landowners to apply for outline planning permission to build on land already earmarked for a 38km EBS power line running from Roscommon to Sligo.
In a letter to landowners, dated September 2004, the IFA claimed that it had already held "successful meetings" with the two local authorities on the "treatment" of the planning applications.
If successful, the planning applications would have the effect of increasing the value of the lands and would consequently increase the level of compensation land owners could negotiate from the state company.
The IFA letter stated: "Members who may encounter any such loss of development right are advised to immediately make application for outline planning permission for the development in question.
"In making such application it is imperative that you advise the county council that the site of the proposed development lies in the wayleave of the permitted transmission line. Agreement has now been reached that landowners making such application will be provided with a letter by ESB (Networks).
"The letter will refer to the individual application, will refer to the fact that the proposed development by the farmer conflicts with the line route and will request that the application should be considered on its merits in all other respects.
"This letter is of great importance in the county council's consideration of the individual application. The treatment of such applications has been the subject of successful meetings between the IFA and officials from Roscommon and Sligo County Councils."
The letter concluded: "IFA is most anxious that farmers who may experience such loss of development right would proceed immediately to make such application for permission." The local authorities said this weekend that planning applications from landowners along the route were treated on their merits and in accordance with their county development plans.
Roscommon County Council said that while there were informal talks with the IFA, there was "no agreement", other than to deal with planning applications on their merits "in accordance with the proper planning and development of the area".
Sligo County Council said that while it met with the IFA, all planning applications were dealt with in accordance with the county development plan.
However, Ciaran Lynch, the Labour Party's local government spokesman, said the letter raised questions such as how farmers could have been encouraged to apply for outline planning permission on land already ring-fenced for power lines.
Eirgrid is laying 38 kilometres of power lines from Flagford, Co Roscommon, to Sligo, in a long-running project that has been held up by resistance from local landowners. A group of objectors in Roscommon want the transmission lines to run underground. They say the pylons constitute a health hazard because of reported links with child leukaemia and other illnesses. Eirgrid insists the power lines are safe.
The project was due to be completed in 2006 at a cost of €100m but remains unfinished because of the ongoing resistance.
Eirgrid has refused to say how much it has paid in compensation to local landowners, citing confidentiality.
Eirgrid, which took over the operation of the transmission network from ESB Networks, said landowners were entitled to seek compensation if the power lines meant any future development potential of the land was lost.
"If a landowner incurs a viable development loss because of the presence of the line, he/she is entitled to seek compensation for any losses incurred. This is specifically covered in the ESB Board policy document which is handed to each landowner with way-leave documents," a spokesman said.
"Where a planning permission is being sought on the route of a power line, EirGrid makes that clear to the planning authorities and asks the planning authority to consider the application on its own merits." The IFA said that farmers were entitled to ask for outline planning permission, and added that permission was only granted in rare cases, such as sites that had road frontage.
- Maeve Sheehan
