Plans by an Irish arm of Amazon Web Services for a cable-landing station in west Cork as part of a transatlantic subsea fibre-optic cable project have been stalled.
West Cork couple Eileen Lynch and Owen McCarthy lodged an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála against the grant of planning permission to Amazon MCS Ireland Ltd for the cable-landing station.
Last month, Cork County Council gave the proposal the go-ahead for a site at Tullyneasky West, 5km southwest of Clonakilty, after deciding that the proposed development would not seriously affect the amenities of the area.
The proposal comprises the demolition of two existing buildings and the construction of a cable-landing station building, an ESB substation and switchroom building and all external plant consisting of a condenser compound, generators and fuel tanks.
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The fibre-optic cable is to land in Ireland at Owenahincha, west Cork. It is part of the multimillion-euro “Fastnet” transatlantic underwater fibre-optic cable connecting Ireland and the US. Amazon Web Services is aiming to have it operating by 2028.
In their appeal, Lynch and McCarthy – who are the only objectors to the cable-landing station proposal – say “the proposed development would seriously affect the future potential of our adjoining lands, including the reasonable prospect of our children building homes on this land”.
The two own the residential property and lands adjoining the proposed development and they contend that the scale and nature of the development would significantly constrain future residential use and enjoyment of their property.
In the objection McCarthy said: “This proposed development has already caused extreme stress and anxiety for both myself and my wife and will have a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of our family if permitted to go ahead.”
The couple stated: “We are concerned about the safety implications of locating fuel tanks and electrical infrastructure in such proximity to a residential dwelling and adjoining lands, including potential risks associated with fuel storage, emissions and maintenance activities.”
A planning report by McCutcheon Halley, consultants for Amazon MCS Ireland, said the larger fibre-optic subsea cable project was subject to several stages and processes. The subsea cable and the landing at Owenahincha were subject to a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) while the cable route from Owenahincha to the cable-landing station will be completed as these are exempted works under planning laws.
