New telecoms mast planned for Rathcrogue to boost Three coverage
The proposed tower would be used by Three Ireland
RESIDENTS and businesses around Tinryland could see improved mobile and wireless broadband coverage under Three Ireland if planning permission is granted for a new 30-metre telecommunications mast on farmland at Rathcrogue.
A planning application was submitted on 10 March by a UK telecoms company (APW UK WIP Limited, trading as Icon Tower), but Three Ireland says it intends to use it to provide improved mobile and wireless broadband coverage to the area.
The planning statement says that the Tinryland area currently suffers from a lack of high-speed wireless broadband and data services, with coverage maps showing fair or fringe coverage for customers of multiple operators around the site location. The proposed mast would serve residential premises and businesses in Tinryland, as well as travellers along the M9 motorway.
The application seeks permission for a ‘lattice’ telecoms support structure on lands at Rathcrogue owned by local farmer Patrick Egan. The proposed development would include antennas, dishes, remote radio units, ground-based equipment cabinets, a 2.4-metre-high palisade fence with access gate and a new 17-metre access track connecting to an existing track on the site.
The site is located north-east of Tinryland village, just north of the N9 Carlow bypass.
According to the planning statement, the 30-metre height is the minimum needed to achieve a clear line of sight for wireless signal transmission above surrounding vegetation and buildings. The applicant states that five existing telecommunications sites within a five-kilometre radius were investigated for co-location but were found to be too far from the coverage objective to be suitable.
The planning statement argues the lattice design, which is proposed in a galvanised finish, minimises visual intrusion by allowing the eye to ‘see through’ the structure rather than perceiving it as a solid object in the landscape. A visual impact assessment claims that two of four viewpoints would experience a moderate to low level of effect, while the remaining two would experience a negligible effect due to screening by mature trees and vegetation.
Carlow Co Council received the application on 13 March and a site inspection will be carried out within the minimum five-week period before a decision is made.
