INTERCONNECTOR: ANGER “PALPABLE” AMONG LANDOWNERS AT AUGHNAMULLEN MEETING

“The anger was palpable at the closed meeting of impacted landowners which was organised at short notice by Co Monaghan Anti Pylon Committee on Friday in Aughnamullen Community Centre,” a spokesperson for the CMAPC told the Northern Standard this week. The spokesperson said the wellattended meeting had been arranged in response to the most recent correspondence from Eir- Grid, which extended deadlines for landowners to sign up for their voluntary easement package before February 9 in order to avail of an early sign-on token payment and a further extension out to March 1 for a late decision.

“The cut-off dates and timelines were designed to force and intimidate landowners into making a quick, uninformed decision on signing away the free use of their property in favour of an indefinite legal easement to EirGrid which will be recorded in the Land Registry as a permanent legal burden on the landowner’s property folio. “If the landowner refuses to sign the voluntary easement package by the specified date of March 1, the threat is that EirGrid will request the ESB to commence the special order process which is of itself an intimidating and cumbersome legal process. “Landowners were afforded the opportunity at the meeting to voice their opinions and to share their common experiences.

They remain committed in their opposition to the overhead proposal for the northsouth Interconnector, citing the many other underground projects which are currently either in planning or underway in other areas of this country: in Cork, Kildare, Roscommon and the announcement last week of a….