SAOIRSE32

Irelandclick.com

Residents of a West Belfast street are up in arms after the recent announcement that a nearby pylon is to be moved – even nearer to their homes.

The electricity pylon, which sits at the bottom of the Upper Donegall Road behind a fast-food restaurant, is to be moved several hundred metres toward the residential area of St Katherine’s Road.

The work is being done in preparation for reconstruction work to the nearby Westlink, due to start at the beginning of 2006.

However, local people say they are deeply unhappy about the proposed move, and add that there is already a high incidence of deaths due to cancer in the area. They say that the movement of the electricity pylon closer to their homes will deepen health concerns.

Voicing the worries of local residents, chairperson of the St James’ Action Group Against Pylons, Paul May, said, “Residents of St Katherine’s Road are living on the front line, but this pylon move is also going to affect people in the surrounding area.

“People aren’t too sure of the health risks involved with pylons,” he added.
“We asked NIE did they have concerns about the health risks, and they said it can’t be proved that they’re bad for people and we said, well, you can’t prove that they aren’t and they agreed with me.

“There’s no point in going to people’s doors in 50 years time and saying, ‘oh, you were right’, we want something done about it now. What the residents would be happy with is to bury these existing power lines and it can be done.
“They are spending an estimated £330m on the Westlink and the effects on this area will be huge, so we are asking for the government departments to take into consideration this one request while making their final plans.”

Councillor Marie Moore agreed: “There is the suggestion that a small pylon will be put up first, so that then a bigger one can be put up to carry the lines over into the Village.

“But the lines will be buried from here onwards, so residents are suggesting why not bury the lines back as far as they can, right back up to Stockman’s Lane,” she added.

“The effect these pylons will have on the cost of people’s homes is only secondary to their concerns over health issues because there has been an increase in cancer cases within this area.

“The residents understand that the work has to be done on the Westlink, we’re not doubting that, what we’re not happy about is having a pylon put up in our back garden.”

A recent study by Oxford University found that power lines may increase the risk of leukaemia. It revealed that children living within 200 metres of power lines were about 70 per cent more likely to develop leukaemia, compared to those who lived beyond 600 metres.

A spokesperson for the Department of Regional Development said, “The proposed works to provide the much-needed improvements to the M1 and Westlink require alterations to the NIE network in the vicinity of Broadway Roundabout.

“This work is to be carried out on Roads Service property between Rodney Parade and the M1 Motorway. This essential advanced work needs to be completed this summer to reduce the risk of delays to the main project which is programmed to start early in 2006,” she continued.

“As part of Roads Service’s commitment to keep people informed about the project it has met with the residents of Rodney Parade, St Katherine’s Road and St James’ Road area and local political representatives.

“Roads Service is proposing to site the replacement electricity tower as close as possible to the southernmost boundary of its property and replace the maximum amount of overhead cables.

“Remaining overhead cables will be along the same line as the existing network ensuring that these cables will be located no closer to any properties in the area.”

Journalist:: Ciara McGuigan