Michael Fisher
Oral Hearing to Start in Carrickmacross on March 7tH
The long-awaited decision by An Bord Pleanála to hold an oral hearing into EirGrid’s plans for a second North/South electricity interconnector means the stage is now being set for the second such inquiry in over five years. A previous hearing in 2010 ended abruptly when a discrepancy was exposed in the planning documentation regarding the height of pylons and EirGrid withdrew the application. The Planning Board has informed interested parties that an inspector will begin to hear submissions at the Nuremore Hotel in Carrickmacross on Monday 7th March at 11am.
TWO PARTS
The hearing will be divided into two parts, with the first section dealing with strategic issues and the second concentrating on issues that are specific to individual sites. Each party has been asked to make submissions in accordance with the order of proceedings. The parties have been placed in Part I or Part II depending on the matters they raised in their responses to the Planning Board.
The Board says that in order to ensure that the hearing is run in an expeditious and efficient manner, each party is required to make a submission orally and within the time allocated by the inspectors. It has not been possible in all cases to allocate all the time requested, but the Board says every effort has been made to be reasonable to all parties, having particular regard to the nature and the extent of the written submissions already received. All documentation and submissions received will be taken as read.
An Bord Pleanála says the main purpose of the hearing is to give parties an opportunity to elaborate on any outstanding points of difference. Where any party intends to call on experts, they have been advised to make the relevant individuals available for the duration of the hearing when the relevant topic is being dealt with.
Parties are welcome to attend both parts of the hearing, but issues addressed in the first section will not be revisited in the second part. It is not possible to provide specific times or dates for each module. All parties and observers can contact the Board’s office to gauge a reasonable understanding of when they are likely to be afforded an opportunity to make their submission. The Board’s website www.pleanala.ie will also be updated daily regarding the progress on the hearing (under the news section).
NO FURTHER WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
Written submissions will not be accepted but parties giving oral evidence may refer to photographs, maps or diagrams to illustrate points being made. All questions between parties will be at the…
