Promise that Portlaoise's hazardous pole is for the chop

The ESB has committed to moving a pole on a popular shortcut road in Portlaoise as part of Laois County Council safety works on the busy route and given a timeframe for doing so.

The electricity company confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that the pole in the road on Green Mill Lane is an "ESB Networks asset".

For its part, Laois County Council confirmed that the problem pole was previously located in a hedgerow bounding a property at the Ridge Road Green Mill Lane junction. The council's Director of Services Simon Walton said it is not a streetlight pole, owned by Laois County Council but an ESB Networks pole, on which a council street light is provided. He added that ESB Networks owns all the other overhead cables.

"As part of recent works, Laois County Council has provided underground ducts that will enable, at least some of the ESB Networks cables to be undergrounded and some launched from the new pole, provided inside the wall of the property.

"The new pole was located inside the boundary, in order to allow space for pedestrians outside. The option of relocating the ESB Networks pole and all overhead cables, prior to the commencement of the footpath works etc., is inefficient," he said.

Mr Walton added: "Ultimately, the pole will be relocated by ESB Networks and you can contact them for a timeframe those works."

The Leinster Express / Laois Live subsequently sought an update from the ESB.

"ESB Networks has been liaising closely with the Council and with Siro as the section of network also includes broadband infrastructure. We can confirm that the overhead network will be moved onto the new steel pole on the 12th of December and the old pole on the roadside will be retired on the same day," said the company.

Laois County Council has been working on upgrading the busy Lane near Dunnes Stores on the town's Mountmellick Rd since August. It has removed hedging and, built a new boundary wall for the house which it purchased for use as social housing. A new footpath was also installed.

Next on the list is a pedestrian bridge across the River Triogue. Pedestrian crossings on the lane are also possible.

The local authority had prepared an extensive upgrade plan for the lane that links the Mountmellick Rd (N80) and the Ridge Rd before commencing the project in the summer.