Search Results for 'Seamus Weir'

Independent Ballina Municipal District Mayo county councillor Seamus Weir this week hit out at proposals to only underground 8km of the controversial project. Cllr Weir said this week: “I oppose Eirgrid’s third option to reduce the voltage on the proposed 400kv transmission line from 400kv to 210kv and suggesting under-grounding the line to a distances of 30 kilometres from Magownagh to Flagfort. I am told it will only be underground for 8km at Flagfort substation.”

Independent councillor Seamus Weir, who has been a leading adversary of the proposed GridWest project, brought forward a motion to the October meeting of Mayo County Council calling for the council to rescind its Wind Energy Strategy Plan and to review its Renewable Energy Strategy.

The stand off over the Grid West project looks set to intensify with members of the Moy Valley Protection Group now vowing they will fight it all the way, regardless of whether or not the proposed high capacity power lines are sunk underground.

A number of the Independent candidates running in the upcoming Local Elections believe voters are disillusioned with what the traditional parties are offering and a swing towards the non-party aligned is on the cards.

A proposal to have all 400kv power lines undergrounded included in the new Mayo County Council development plan fell at a vote (12-10, with nine councillors absent for the vote ) at this week’s special meeting of the council to approve the new county development plan.

Councillor Seamus Weir will not be reversing his decision not to run for Fine Gael in this May’s Local Elections, even with the announcement this week by the Minister for Environment, Pat Rabbitte, of a commission headed up by retired judge Catherine McGuinness to investigate the potential of undergrounding the Grid West Project.

There was celebrations for Mayo at the Local Authorities Members Association (LAMA) awards on Saturday night when In Humbert’s Footsteps picked up the Best Gathering Event for Ireland. The festival which saw re-enactments of General Humbert’s march through Mayo during 1798 in Killala, Kilcummin, Lahardane, and Castlebar saw off competition from 10 other events for the award.

The members of the Mayo County Council deferred a decision on adopting the draft policy on Community Benefit Contributions required for certain major developments at their December meeting on Monday. The policy will set down the requirements for a developer in relation to making a contribution to local areas affected by future major developments.