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Beauty spot blighted by ESB poles
A LOCAL ESB customer is fuming that the electricity giant has seen fit to erect a tall electricity pole in front of his house - the seventh pole within yards of his home.
Noel Peers of Brandondale, Graignamanagh couldn't believe his eyes when the new pole was erected a few months ago.
There are now four poles at the back of his house and three poles in front.
At the heart of Mr Peers' complaint is that the new pole was erected only metres from existing ones.
"I just don't understand why they need all those poles to carry three wires," he said, adding that it was his understanding that poles needed to be no closer than 50 metres apart to maintain power supply.
"So why does there need to be seven poles within 50 yards of my house?
"If the ESB are wasting money on bad engineering like this, it's not surprising their charges are going up."
The new pole is also in the perfect position to spoil the views from his home.
Brandondale is well-known for its gorgeous views over the Barrow valley, but the new electricity pole is visible from every room at the front of the house.
For the past two months, the retired Eircom manager has been trying to get an answer from ESB about why the new pole is neccessary.
Letters and phone calls requesting a meeting have gone unanswered and the pole remains shrouded in fluorescent plastic packaging.
"The sight of the poles just smacks you in the face," an outraged Mr Peers said. "How would you feel if it was your house?"
"As a customer of ESB for the past 45 years, I've paid them thousands of pounds.
"I think I'm entitled to meet the officials and I feel I've been treated in a very bad way."
He has enlisted the help of local TD Phil Hogan, who has vowed to take up Mr Peers' cause with ESB if he has no luck securing a meeting.
The dispute escalated when ESB technicians arrived in Brandondale to install switching wires on the new pole last week.
Mr Peers stepped in and refused to let them do it.
"I told them the pole was under dispute with ESB and under no circumstances could they do it," he said.
"I've never broken the law in my life, but I told them to call the guards if they wanted to."
Instead, they called ESB and were told to leave the pole alone until a decision on its future has been made.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Thursday 23 February 2012
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