Anti-pylon campaigners yesterday expressed disappointment at the High Court's decision to allow the ESB to proceed with the erection of pylons across Cork Harbour, amid promises that eco-campaigners would return to east Cork to prevent the scheme going ahead.
Cobh and Lower Harbour Anti-Pylon Group spokesman Mr Ed Mansworth said the group was very disappointed at the ruling to quash Cork County Council's decision to rescind planning permission for 80 pylons to carry a 220 kv line from Aghada in east Cork across Cork Harbour to Rafeen.
"We are disappointed - it's a grave affront to democracy that the democratic wishes of the locals and the decision made by the county councillors can be overturned," said Mr Mansworth.
"Our first course of action is that we're going to go to our Cork TDs to see what they are going to do to amend this decision in Dail Eireann, in particular the Minister for Health, Micheal Martin, through whose constituency this proposed line will run and who has never commented on the issue," he said.
"Our second option is to effectively close down the ESB in Cork through direct action - we plan to put a permanent protest on their office in Wilton while we will also have eco-campaigners returning to east Cork to flood the line - we'll have about 20 or so campaigners back within a few weeks," he said.
Although a spokesman for Cork County Council said the council would not be commenting until after the July 25th hearing on costs, former Cork East Labour TD Mr John Mulvihill, who led the opposition to the proposal in County Hall, expressed bitter disappointment at the decision.
"I'm very, very disappointed - we were all pretty confident. It's a sad day for local democracy, it's just telling the people that they don't have a say in these issues when it comes to a head," said Cllr Mulvihill, who proposed the motion rescinding planning permission which was passed by 31 votes to four.
Cllr Mulvihill said the council would refer yesterday's judgment to its legal advisers who will examine the judgement before making a recommendation on whether the council should consider appealing the judicial review to the Supreme Court.
A spokesman for the ESB welcomed the judge's finding. The ESB will comment in more detail following the July 25th hearing.
