Coordination with ESB Networks

Kildare County Council Meeting, Monday, 26 February 2024

Councillors Anne Breen, Aoife Breslin, Aidan Farrelly, Angela Feeney, Peter Hamilton, Rupert Heather, Mark Leigh and Pádraig McEvoy.

Motion

That the council engage with ESB Networks, the Local Government Management Agency or relevant stakeholders to establish an oversight forum to coordinate the scheduling of electrical connections for publicly funded projects.

Agenda Report

Housing have confirmed that utility connections are kept under review during

the construction and delivery phase of social housing projects; where issues arise the Housing Department engages with the Housing Delivery Coordination Office, who in turn advocate on our behalf with Uisce Eireann and ESB Networks.

At present, there is no formal procedure in place for the council to engage with ESB Networks although there is continued contact at local level on an ongoing basis. The ESB works closely with the County and City Management Association (CCMA) on a regular basis through a number of fora. With the agreement of the members, the council will write to the ESB to explore options.

Issued by: Ms C Barrett, Director of Services, Transport, Mobility and Open Spaces

Debate

Thank you for submitting the report and providing the opportunity to support the executive's efforts to improve coordination and project delivery between KCC and the ESB.

The establishment of the Housing Delivery Coordination Office indicates that coordinated efforts can significantly enhance project momentum.

In proposing this motion, we aim to address various challenges related to transport-related electrical connections, such as the unavailability of Eircodes, the need for meter installation and ducting readiness for ESB connections, and the varying lead times and staff changes in connection applications and delivery. Coordinating with different ESB offices within the county can significantly impact project timelines.

While Kildare County Council often takes the lead, there are instances where third parties are responsible for developing public works related to schools. Delays in connections can pose safety risks for nearby pedestrian crossings, particularly for students.

In addition to endorsing the proposal from Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer and Cllr Peggy O'Dwyer, I strongly agreed with the need to engage with the ESB to streamline, monitor, and review our processes to ensure progress in project delivery.

Minutes

14/0124 [link]

The members raised the following:

• Many projects were bottlenecked due to ESB, i.e. EV charging points and pedestrian crossings. Better practices were needed.

• These issues were holding up many projects.

• Royal Canal project lost two years due to a misplaced application.

• Paying outrageous sums for connections, no communication with ESB. Waiting two years in Kill to take down a tree. The power needed to be shut off for this to be carried out safely.

Ms C Barrett advised that she had been in contact with the LGMA. These issues seemed to be specific locally. She suggested contacting ESB to address the localised issues as a first step.

Update

ESB Networks visited Kildare County Council