An Bord Pleanála overturns Tipperary council's refusal of permission for 30m mast in Ardfinnan

An Bord Pleanála has overturned Tipperary County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a 30m telecommunications mast on the edge of Ardfinnan.

The planning appeals board granted planning approval on January 2 to Listowel based Vantage Towers Limited to erect the mast at Monroe West, Ardfinnan with a revised design and with five conditions to abide by.

An Bord Pleanála has approved permission for a monopole mast instead of the lattice mast proposed in the original application.

This decision comes nearly two years after Tipperary County Council refused planning permission to the company’s application to build a 30m high lattice communications mast with antennae, dishes and associated equipment on the same site.

In the application, Vantage Towers said it was one of Europe’s leading tower companies created from the Vodafone Group in 2020 that operates and manages 82,000 towers across 10 countries and owns 1,300 masts in Ireland.

It argued in the application that this 30m mast was needed to improve mobile phone and broadband coverage as the infrastructure in the area is “inadequate to fulfill the current and forecast demands for new technologies and communication services”.

But Tipperary County Council refused the application in February, 2022 on the grounds that it would “form a visually prominent feature and would negatively impact on the visual amenities and character” of Ardfinnan village.

The council noted the proposed mast would be located in close proximity to the residential areas of Lady’s Abbey, Ashfield Manor and Castle View in Ardfinnan. The local authority was not satisfied that no other location had been identified for the mast and concluded that it would contravene the South Tipperary Development Plan and be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Vantage Towers Group appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála and submitted revised plans for the proposed mast to the appeals board.

After considering the appeal, An Bord Pleanála granted permission for the revised mast structure as it considered that subject to the company complying with the five conditions, the mast would contribute to the roll-out of broadband services in accordance with national, regional and local objectives.

“Subject to the respecification of the monopole structure, the townscape and visual impacts of the development of the site would be compatible with the amenities of the area,” the appeal board’s decision stated.

It added that it considered the proposed access arrangements would be satisfactory and no assessment issues would arise.

“The development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The conditions An Bord Pleanála attached to the planning approval include that the monopole mast be constructed according to the further plans submitted by the company. The board stipulated that in the interest of the visual amenity of the area, the proposed colour scheme and fencing for the structure be agreed with the planning authority prior to commencement of the development.

Another condition directs the developer, subject to reasonable terms, allow other licensed mobile telecommunications operators to co-locate their antennae onto the mast in order to “avoid the proliferation of telecommunications structures in the interest of visual amenity”.

And when the mast is decommissioned, Vantage Towers Ltd. must remediate and reinstate the site within three months.