Coillte in flagrant abuse of Cork County Council Planning laws

Friday June 13, 2008 15:03

by Coillte Watch

Coillte in breach of Planning laws on Nowen Hill, Dunmanway, Co. Cork

In June 2007, Coillte allowed Vodafone to erect an illegal tellecommunications mast on Nowen Hill, Dunmanway, Co. Cork. Coillte allowed Vodafone to do this with the knowledge that Vodafone had almost finalised plans and had carried out site works, to share a telecoms tower with an adjoining telecoms operator on Nowen Hill.

Why did Coillte allow Vodafone to do this. ?

From our evidence, we believe that Coillte allowed Vodafone to put up their illegal mast on Coillte land because Coillte are involved in a dispute with the adjoining telecoms operator, with whom, Vodafone wished to share with.

From this act, we can deduce that Coillte acted illegally and in the process, and interfered with telecoms operators on Nowen Hill, which is outside their remit.
Coillte obviously wished to keep Vodafone on their land, albeit by an illegal means.
This latest act by Coillte is seen by many as another attempt to further fuel the ongoing dispute between Coillte and others at Nowen Hill.

The Planning laws of the country must be obeyed by all.
Yet, here we have Coillte, a State organisation, clearly flouting such laws for their own financial gain.

Coillte are FSC certified. Therefore, Coillte should follow and obey FSC principles. ( See Related link).
In this case, Coillte have clearly breached FSC principles by flouting Planning laws.

We understand, that this matter, and other Nowen Hill issues, were brought to thre attention of FSCand Accreditation Services International, Germany, who, for whatever reasons, have ignored the illegal conduct of Coillte.

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Comments (2 of 2)

Ripping off phone companies?

by Walker

Sat Jun 14, 2008 01:59

I don't understand the full impact of what you are saying, but I interpret it to mean that an adjacent landowner was denied the rental income due from the erection of a mast on their (i.e. not on Coillte's) land.

On the broader issue of Coillte's honesty, aren't there issues over their accounting and subsidies that should have been through investigation by the Comptrolleur and Auditor General? For instance was the over-enthusiastic drawdown of grants for planting on unsuitable land (http://www.irlgov.ie/committees-00/c-publicaccounts/000...1.htm and http://friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/fnn/index.php?a...id=55) ever resolved? Has Meithal's question on possibly illegal land management of 2007 (http://www.irishforestcertification.com/docs/Meitheal%2...n.pdf) been answered? Is anyone overseeing the funds Coillte draw to maintain public access to lands throughout Cork and Kerry where paths and picnic areas have been blockaded by Coillte "Due to Public Vandalism", yet no maintenance or security measures have been taken?

And is the corporate governance of Coillte not indeed overseen by former Coillte staff now employed by the IPA and the Institute of Directors’ Centre for Corporate Governance at UCD (... Prof Niamh Brennan who with her husband, former Justice Minister Michael McDowell, is no stranger to countryside planning controversy http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2004/10/17/story734...9.asp).

More of it

by Alan

Fri Jun 13, 2008 19:58

This kind of conduct is not surprising from Coillte. Coillte are money mad, and dont care who they step on to get it.

The situation at Nowen Hill is disgusting. I heard of the way in which landowners / telecoms operators are being grossly mistreated by Coillte at Nowen Hill.

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Coillte in flagrant abuse of Cork County Council Planning laws

Comments (2 of 2)