KERRY County Council is to debate the county’s designation in the National Development Plan at a future meeting so that towns like Tralee and Killarney are given recognition equal to Cork, Limerick, Athlone and Sligo. A motion put forward by Fine Gael councillors on Monday asked that the towns of Listowel, Tralee and Killarney be designated a gateway rather than a hub.
In a report given to councillors on Monday, it was explained that the Tralee/ Killarney corridor is designated a hub in the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020.
In 2001, Kerry County Council debated a strategy published by the Department of the Environment. It was agreed that the Tralee/ Killarney corridor be designated as a gateway on the basis of population, a successful airport, an industrial landbank, a third-level college, cultural centres and over 50 hotels in two urban centres.
The National Spatial Strategy, published in 2002, required that areas of sufficient scale and critical mass be built up through a network of gateways and hubs.
The document identified nine medium-sized hubs to support, and be supported by larger gateways, and to link to wider rural areas.
It is envisaged that the gateways act at national level and that the hubs act at regional and county level.
Management told councillors on Monday that a request for government for co-equal development status with Cork, Limerick, Athlone and Sligo that was once granted to Kerry and that the request to have Listowel, Tralee, Killarney designated as a gateway is a matter that has to be considered by councillors.
But with no more than eight of the 27 councillors in attendance at Monday’s meeting, it was agreed that the matter should be deferred and debated at a later date.
Aidan O’Connor
© The Kerryman
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