Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for the development by Kenmare-based energy firm, Rainpower, of a 1.2MW hydro-electric plant on the Owbeg River at Slaght, around 2km outside Kilgarvan, Co Kerry. The ruling represents an unsuccessful attempt by Rainpower to reverse the original decision of Kerry County Council to also refuse planning permission for the project.
Rainpower had plans to abstract and divert water from the Owbeg upstream of the Meelick Falls to run through a 1.2km pipe and pass it through a turbine house before returning the water back into the river further downstream.

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Councillors delete 'townlands' clause

THERE WAS heated debate yesterday before members of Kerry County Council voted to remove the so-called “townlands clause” which had allowed some flexibility for new houses to be built in rural area by young people near their family or relatives.

A majority of Kerry county councillors yesterday voted to amend the current county development plan by deleting this clause to bring it more into line with current regional and national guidelines on building in rural areas.

The meeting heard how just under 20,000 houses are empty in Kerry, according to the census. An Taisce had asked that these be prioritised for use.

A minority of councillors warned that rural planning was being further tightened, with the removal of a controversial “townlands” clause.

However, the county’s most senior planner strongly rejected claims that family members in Kerry were finding it difficult to get planning for houses in the countryside.

Director of services Michael McMahon said : “We are providing sufficient planning permissions for the population growth of the whole of this county in one-off houses alone. On average per annum we have been granting 1,000 rural houses in Kerry.”

That was outside the permissions for houses in urban areas, he added. “More than 50 per cent of housing in this county is in rural areas,” Mr McMahon added.

The new core strategy, which will continue with dezoning land begun over a year ago, saw a further tightening of rural planning, in an effort by planners to row back on the excesses of rural housing of recent years.

The amendment was carried by a majority of 17 councillors who voted in favour to six against. The six councillors against were Independents Danny Healy-Rae and his son Johnny Healy-Rae, Breeda Moynihan Cronin (Lab), John Joe Cullotty (FF), Paul O’Donoghue (FF) and Toireasa Ferris (SF).

However, a core of councillors yesterday objected strongly to the removal of a townlands clause which they said protected the rights of locals and close relatives of landowners to build houses in the countryside.

Clause 3. 7.12 in the rural settlement section of the county development plan, which was deleted yesterday, gave priority to applicants from the immediate locality and was inserted at the insistence of councillors in 2009. It said applicants from “at a minimum adjoining townlands” would be looked upon favourably.

Sinn Féin’s Toireasa Ferris said the removal of the clause left rural planning open to interpretation and gave planners a strong hand in refusing applications to locals and to relatives.

“Unless the applicant is from a stone’s throw of a site, they won’t get permission,” she warned.

A lot of farmers did not have children and they would like relatives to be able to build on the land, she said. “My interpretation of deleting 3.7.12 is we are handing the option over to the planners.”

Fine Gael’s Pat McCarthy said councillors were coming under a lot of pressure to explain “why people living in the countryside are being held responsible for the sins of decisions made in the past”.

Labour’s Breeda Moynihan Cronin urged planners to consider social aspects of their decisions in tightening up rural planning. “It’s a people issue, not a planning issue. Loneliness is a huge problem in rural areas and we have to let young people live there. You will see a complete diminishing of schools and other services.”

Planners also rejected a suggestion by Mr Cullotty to replace the townlands clause with “parish” to broaden the scope of rural planning. Mr McMahon said any attempt to put parish in the plan “would cause utter confusion”.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

'It's like the Celtic Tiger - we knew we were wrong and we kept going'

PLANNING AND THE RING OF KERRY: YOU CAN almost hear Jackie Healy-Rae saying it – “the plannin’ is terrible round here”.

What some Kerry people mean by this, of course, is not that the landscape has been chewed up by haphazard housing, but that it can be damned difficult to get permission to build in certain areas.

The stark statistics do not bear this out. Altogether, there are at least 34,000 one-off houses in the countryside, accounting for more than half of Kerry’s housing stock or seven per kilometre of public road. That’s an awful lot of houses strewn around the landscape of a county that was recently voted the “most scenic” in Ireland.

Kerry’s senior planner Paul Stack has been outspoken about the “incredible damage” done by the proliferation of housing. After an absence of 14 years, he “couldn’t believe what I came back to, planning went out of control”.

“It’s like the Celtic Tiger – we knew we were wrong and we kept going,” he told councillors in July. “Eighty per cent of the visitors to Co Kerry come here for the quality of the landscape and the unspoilt scenery,” he said. “I drove around areas such as the Cotswolds [in England] and to see the tourism product they have in comparison to what we have done to our tourism product is embarrassing and upsetting.”

A recent tour of the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas confirmed that very few places have been left unspoilt by the intrusion of housing – not just one-offs, frequently built to capture splendid views, but also clusters of neo- traditional holiday homes on the outskirts of towns and villages and forlorn, unfinished housing estates.

It’s all evidence that the pro-development lobby generally got its way during the boom, despite the efforts of An Taisce, local planners and others to stop the worst excesses. In Kerry, as elsewhere on the western seaboard, there was, and still is, a visceral resentment of “outsiders” putting their oar in.

The Kerryman recently reprinted an archive report from 1981 in which “an angry Mr Healy-Rae” railed against An Taisce for objecting to planning approvals for one-off houses. “I don’t know what their function is or who set them up, but if I had the power I’d break them up . . . An Taisce has no role to play,” he said.

“I dont give a damn about the law of the land. We are quite open to criticise the law if we think it’s unreasonable,” said the man who later served as an Independent TD for South Kerry. “What the hell does An Taisce know about an application where a man wants to build a house for himself on his own land and why they should interfere?”

In Healy-Rae’s home village of Kilgarvan, where the senior citizens’ sheltered housing scheme is called Healy-Rae Park, there’s a small vacant cluster of holiday homes that was finished too late to cash in on the property bubble. Much larger schemes on the outskirts of Dingle, Killorglin and Waterville are also empty and fenced off.

Healy-Rae’s son Danny, who is a councillor for Killarney, has been one of Kerry County Council’s biggest plant-hire contractors over the years, mainly for road schemes. These schemes were high on the list of his father’s confidential deals to support Fianna Fáil-led coalitions since he was first elected to the Dáil in 1997.

Bends in roads have been straightened, bridges and roads widened to cater for tourist traffic around the Ring of Kerry and elsewhere in the county; these works are ongoing. Worst of all, long stretches of stone parapet walls have been replaced with pre-cast concrete sections in highly-scenic areas such as Coomakista and Moll’s Gap.

The road leading down to Dingle from the Connor Pass was not only widened, but the new gulley running alongside has ugly corrugated heavy-duty black PVC drains protruding above the surface every 50 metres or so. And because the road is now wider, motorists are prone to accelerate – making it more dangerous rather than safer.

Part of the charm of travelling around Kerry is that you have to negotiate your passage with other motorists travelling in the opposite direction on narrow country roads; if the oncoming driver is from the area, he or she will usually know where to pull in, allowing you to pass and it’s all done with understanding.

The ditches were ablaze with fuschia and montbretia; earlier, it would have been gorse. And because this summer has been so wet, the fields are greener than usual. In sheltered areas, such as Kells Bay and Parknasilla, tropical plants still thrive – although cordyline australis took a battering from last winter’s prolonged icy weather.

More alien in the context of Kerry’s landscapes are the suburban-style gardens in front of nearly every bungalow, with lawns and shrubbery but rarely trees that would provide screening and shelter. At the Blasket Islands visitor centre in Dún Chaoin, natural meadows have been sacrificed for the suburban fetish of neatly-mowed grass.

A disjointed mansion, built by singer Dolores O’Riordan, and topped by a tower, can be seen from almost everywhere. Other new houses are less ostentatious, but all stand out in the almost tree-less landscape – because they’re mainly painted white. Had they been built of stone or painted light green for example, they would be less obtrusive.

In Ballinskelligs, three barracks-style terraces of holiday homes occupy a prime site next to the village’s only hotel. Built on the seaward side of the road, and fronted by nothing more than a tarmac car park, they have blotted out scenic views cherished for decades. Here again, as elsewhere in Ireland, greed triumphed over the public good.

But for rip-roaring Wild West sprawl, the townlands of Faha and Firies – some 10km from Killarney – can’t be beaten. As I noted in 2004, whole fields where there used to be sheep or cattle are now colonised by houses, with hedgerows replaced by concrete block walls, post-and-rail fences, elaborate stone walls and neo- classical balustrades.

There is an extraordinary contrast between the raw blanket bog of the uplands and the heavily wooded areas on the approach roads to Kenmare and Parknasilla; it must have something to do with the Kenmare Estate. Other relics of the past include the tunnels and decaying viaducts of the old railway line to Cahersiveen.

In general, Kerry’s towns are far too decorative, with a profusion of hanging baskets and projecting signs; there are so many on Henry Street, in Kenmare, that you can barely see anything. “The towns are like overdressed salads,” an architect friend observed. Some buildings have also been ill- advisedly stripped to reveal rubble stone.

But even in posh Kenmare, the recession is evident from a “for sale” sign on a prime site in the town centre with planning permission for 13,000sq ft (1,208 sq m) of retail. Plans to redevelop the almost post-nuclear derelict hulk of the former Waterville Beach Hotel at Reenroe also came too late to be a runner in the current climate.

The former Great Southern hotel in Parknasilla was refurbished and extended at enormous expense by Bernard McNamara at the end of the boom period. Once favoured as a holiday retreat by Bertie Ahern, it has been rebranded as the Parknasilla Resort and Spa but retains its elegance

Paul Stack believes that the penny has dropped about unsustainable development. Starting in 2009, the Kerry County Council was the first to dezone land designated for housing – under local area plans (Laps) for Castleisland, Kenmare and Killorglin. So far, 1,000 acres has been dezoned, and there’s more to come in Dingle and Cahersiveen.

“Our members bought into the ‘core strategy’ principle before anyone else. They had to vote for dezoning of those lands, and that took a lot of guts,” he says. “We’re singing from the same hymn sheet now, not just because there’s less pressure for housing, but there’s also an awareness now that maybe we need to stop and think.”

The latest draft of Kerry’s “core strategy”, which identifies housing in the county and the land needed to accommodate it, will be put to councillors next Monday. It estimates that land zoned in excess of what’s actually needed amounts to 1,700 hectares, or just over 4,000 acres. How the councillors deal with that will be the real test.

“We have a very strong county manager and team of officials, and the members do listen to us,” Stack says. “We’re spelling out where we’re at now. And in this scenario, we must learn from what we’ve done and don’t continue doing it. We don’t want to continue to perpetrate damage to this county where tourism is the biggest employer.”

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Concern over road to Kerry mast site

A CONTROVERSIAL telecommunications mast near Killarney which was refused permission by Kerry County Council but granted on appeal by An Bord Pleanála, could be serviced occasionally by a new road that was not included in the planning application, a council meeting was told yesterday.

The mast at Kilcummin has attracted protests by a residents’ group which claims the area is already well served by masts and does not need the health risk of another.

The Hutchinson 3G mast was the subject of a special meeting of the council last week, after which legal advice was sought. It is within a kilometre of a number of houses.

Some 85m of access road had been made through adjoining land, with the agreement of the landowner, after the protesters blocked the private road earmarked for the site, and up to 90 trucks a day would be using the new road during construction works, yesterday’s meeting was told.

“The road was constructed and you can dress it up as much as you like, it is there,” Labour councillor Marie Moloney (Labour) told senior management.

People felt very let down by the council and by public representatives, she said.

The road applied for was different from the one being used and residents felt they were being “railroaded”, she said.

The road is not temporary because access will be needed to service the mast, councillors argued.

Senior counsel’s advice was that the temporary road did not need planning permission, the meeting heard. John O’Connor, acting manager, said the legal advice was unequivocal.

On a proposal by Mr Moloney, the council is to ask the company to suspend work to allow the residents to seek further legal advice.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Court further adjourns case against operator of illegal waste-transfer site

A CIRCUIT Court judge has said unusual circumstances led him to adjourn an application by Kerry County Council to imprison the operator of one of the region’s largest waste-recyclable operators for continuing to operate an illegal waste-transfer station near Listowel.

The station has been running for 4½ years without planning permission.

In July 2007, the Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Carroll Moran, ordered Eoghan McEnery of South West Bins Limited, to shut down his waste-transfer and dry recyclable plant at Carhooeragh, Kilmorna, Listowel, but granted a stay for 15 months. That had been extended again to April 2009.

There was no sign of Mr McEnery dismantling the business, Liz Murphy for Kerry County Council told the Circuit Civil Court in Killarney yesterday, and the council had no alternative except to bring a motion for committal against him.

Henry Downing, for Mr McEnery, said his client fully accepted he had to shut down and that he did not have planning permission, but he needed time to dismantle his operation and to move to an alternative site. “Because of the ‘not in my back yard syndrome’, my client has had extreme difficulty in getting an alternative site,” Mr Downing said.

The court heard of 26 attempts by Mr McEnery to find an alternative site, as well as efforts to acquire and merge existing sites with planning permission. It also heard how the planning process took several months.

Mr McEnery was now confident that a new site – nine acres, with industrial zoning but whose location he did not wish yet to disclose – would gain planning permission, Mr Downing said, possibly at the end of February.

With 10,000 customers in Kerry and west Limerick and more than 30 employees – 26 of them full-time – he was a significant employer in the region, and South West Bins was “an integral part of the waste management system” in the region, Mr Downing said.

Mr McEnery told the court that if his operation was shut down, he would go out of business. He had six competitors, including Kerry County Council, and he believed some of his competitors had “a big part” to play in objecting to him.

He had paid €1.1 million for a site in Dingle, but this would only cater for some of the plastics part of his recycling operation.

“With the boom, it was impossible to give what they [landowners] were asking. With the bust it is impossible to acquire money to buy the sites,” he said.

Judge Terence O’Sullivan said he appreciated it was very irregular for the courts to adjourn such an application, “but this is a rather unusual set of circumstances”.

“This businessman is a significant contributor to the economy. He employs 26 full-time people. It’s desirous that he should be able to carry on his business as best he can. I am satisfied he is attempting to relocate his business.”

He was “locked in the embrace of the planning process” and there was no wilful default by him. He adjourned the matter to before next Christmas. However, if he could not comply, there would be a requirement on him to cease his business, the judge added.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Fenit to Tralee walkway opposed

A PROPOSAL by Kerry County Council to turn the old Fenit to Tralee railway line into a walkway and cycle path to boost tourism and provide a local amenity is meeting stiff resistance by some villagers who fear it will bring anti-social behaviour and loss of privacy.

The 12.5 km line, with views of Tralee Bay and the Slieve Mish mountains, operated between 1887 and 1978 and is still largely intact. However, it would cost €11 million to reopen as a railway.

A free bus tour is being offered to interested parties to visit a similar scheme on the old Abbeyfeale-Newcastle line, 28km of which are a similar walkway/cycleway. Originally there were also strong objections to that route.

John Williams, from Fenit, said many people had concerns about the project, including anti-social behaviour, planning, lighting and security issues.

Kerry County Council has got a licence agreement from CIÉ, owner of the line, to turn it into a dedicated walkway and cycleway directly from the heart of Tralee to the deepwater port of Fenit.

The project manager said it had also ironed out many difficulties with residents along the line and had held meetings with communities over the past year or so.

Mayor of Kerry Bobby O’Connell said: “Both visitors and locals will have the opportunity to cycle or walk from Tralee to Fenit on a dedicated path without interference from traffic.

“The amenity value of the cycleway will be immense also as it passes through rolling countryside with glorious views of the Slieve Mish Mountains and Tralee Bay, ” the councillor added.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Council using non-compliant quarries

KERRY COUNTY Council has admitted it is buying material from some quarries which are not in compliance with planning for their operations, and in a small number of cases is purchasing material from operators in the county who have been in serious breach of planning.

The quarries and their operators are the subject of warning notices issued by the council’s planning department in recent months, and a small number of the suppliers were the subject of enforcement proceedings.

Senior officers said the council would stop purchasing material where serious breaches continued. However, the quarries would be allowed some months’ grace.

The admission was made to Independent councillor Brendan Cronin, who asked for details of all unauthorised quarries in Kerry which were the subject of active enforcement proceedings, and details of all quarries and if any of these were supplying materials to the council.

Mr Cronin said the fact that the council was purchasing some of its materials from operations not in compliance with planning was not good enough from a public confidence point of view.

“We cannot be the police officers and be purchasing from them at the same time. It’s sending two different messages out and undermines public confidence.”

The director of planning, Michael McMahon, told the councillor in a report there were 20 quarries against whom warning letters had been issued over recent months “regarding various levels of non-compliance” after planning officers visited them to check on planning conditions laid down by the council on registration in 2004.

He believed there had been a positive response from most of the 20, but a small number would be the subject of enforcement proceedings.

There were also seven quarries unauthorised, and enforcement proceedings were in train against these.

Two of these were also supplying the council, according to documentation released to Mr Cronin.

“There are people out there at the moment from whom we are purchasing material not in 100 per cent compliance with planning conditions,” Mr McMahon told a council meeting.

However, he said the requirement that quarries register with the planning authority was comparatively recent. Quarries had been unregulated since 1964 and had only been brought into the process in 2004.

Mr McMahon said planning officers would be revisiting to check on compliance with conditions imposed by the council, and it was reasonable to allow people time to get their houses in order.

The council’s head of finance, John O’Connor, told this month’s council meeting that Mr Cronin was “preaching to the converted”. In future where the planning office discovered a serious breach, the council would stop purchasing material from the operator and there would be no period of grace.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Bord Pleanála rejects hillside development near Dingle

A SUBSTANTIAL residential and holiday-home development proposed for a scenic hillside a kilometre from Dingle town centre has been refused permission by An Bord Pleanála.

This was done mainly on the grounds that it would create sprawl and work against recent efforts to create a compact town in Dingle, Co Kerry.

The decision has been welcomed by local conservationists, who have objected to much of the recent development in the coastal town.

Seán Brosnan, a local conservationist, said: “Dingle is a sensitive place, it needs sensitive, well-planned development. Clearly sprawl is not well planned.”

Kerry County Council had already refused planning for the 94 houses, which included 27 holiday homes, and the renovation of an old farmhouse on 10 acres on the Conor Pass side of the town.

Part of the access would have been from the Dingle Way walking route.

Submissions to the council detailed how there were already lots of houses for sale in Dingle, that there were too many holiday homes and too many empty houses.

There was also criticism of much of the recent elevated development around the town which runs down to the sea.

The objectors also claimed the proposed site was “rural in character” and removed from the town centre.

Agents for the applicants, Dunboy Homes, appealed the council’s refusal.

They pointed out that the land had been zoned for residential use and “incorporated within the town boundary of An Daingean” in 2006.They said that development of the site could, therefore, be expected.

The appellants also submitted that adjacent developments were more visually intrusive upon views from the Conor Pass tourist route.

The planning board refused permission “having regard to provide for the development of a compact and accessible town”, the elevated and exposed scenic setting of the site and the possibility of disturbing subsurface archaeological remains.

Locals believe that about 400 houses are empty in Dingle.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Baths plan on Valentia refused

An organic cafe owner said he will not give up on his plans for the development of seaweed baths on the edge of the Atlantic at Valentia Island, but will try again as soon as there is an upturn in the economy, writes Anne Lucey.

Paul Duff of the Lighthouse cafe on Valentia has been refused permission by Kerry County Council to roof old stone sheds and convert them to seaweed bath houses.

The baths were considered over-development and concerns were also raised by An Taisce.

Mr Duff will not appeal the decision but has decided to “wait for the upturn”.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Rural campaigners and council engineers at loggerheads over septic tanks

A RURAL dwellers’ campaign group is in dispute with council engineers over septic tanks.

The Kerry branch of the Irish Rural Dwellers’ Association (IRDA) insist there is an engineering solution to most problems with percolation from septic tanks.

But planning officials strongly dispute the claim.

Problems with percolation are often cited by Kerry County Council for refusing planning permission for one-off rural houses.

In a submission to a new draft county development plan, Kerry IRDA secretary Brigid O’Connor maintained there were solutions to fit “nearly all scenarios” relating to percolation.

But senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy said that was not the case, adding: “In many situations, it is not possible to dispose of treated effluent.”

The IRDA also claimed the council was citing dangerous entrances onto roads as a reason for refusing planning for houses. It called on the council to provide statistics to prove its point.

But Mr Sheehy argued such statistics would be meaningless.

The IRDA also strongly criticised what it described as the council policy of promoting the “virtual urbanisation” of Kerry, rather than strengthening and preserving rural communities.

However, council planners disputed that argument, saying the promotion of town and village development did not mean they were anti-rural planning.

Irish Examiner

www.buckplanning.ie

Rezoning for Ó Sé sports centre plan

THE way was cleared yesterday for a sports interpretive centre-cum-residential development by Kerry football legend Páidi Ó Sé on his property in Ard Bhothair, Ventry.

But, in deciding to give Mr Ó Sé the land rezonings he had sought, members of Kerry County Council refused to accept all the advice of their senior planners.

He requested that his pub and land, to the east of the business, be rezoned from prime special amenity to residential/opportunity and/ or rural/general.


Senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy said the rural/general rezoning would be acceptable, but the land could not be rezoned residential/opportunity.

“In the local area plan the council took a decision not to re-open residential zoning. Legally, we can’t do it and that’s the bottom line,” he said.

He also pointed out it was council policy not to allow holiday homes in rural areas.

But councillors unanimously rowed in behind Mr Ó Sé, who was in the public gallery, and voted for both zonings to be included in the county development plan 2009-2015.

The proposal was made by FF councillor Michael O’Shea, seconded by Independent councillor Michael Gleeson.

The zonings will facilitate the erection of a sports interpretive centre in the existing pub functions room area and a residential development to provide accommodation for family members, employees and people attending conferences in the interpretive centre.

FF councillor Paul O’Donoghue said Údarás na Gaeltactha was supporting Mr Ó Sé’s application which would help create jobs and attract visitors to the area.

“This is exactly what we should be doing — trying to help people create jobs,” Mr O’Donoghue went on.

“We can amend rules and procedures to provide jobs. This is a superb, innovative proposal which will help the community.”

Mr Gleeson said he had visited the site and could not see any substantial problem with what was being proposed.

“It’s a valid and fair request for rezoning,” he remarked.

While urging the council not to agree to a residential/opportunity rezoning, Mr Sheehy said a rural/general rezoning would not preclude a material contravention if future developments were planned.

“With a rural/general rezoning, we could then deal with a planning application on its merits,” he said.

Irish Examiner

www.buckplanning.ie

Island created as sea breaches sand dunes at Kerry blue flag beach

A NEW island has been created at one of Kerry’s blue flag beaches, after the sea breached sand dunes during the weekend.

Kerry County Council engineers were examining the scene and assessing the damage at Rossbeigh, yesterday.

About five acres of dunes near the end of the Rossbeigh Spit are now cut off and there are fears of further knock-on damage in the Castlemaine Harbour, Dooks and Cromane areas.

However, the council has little or no money to deal with the problem and there is also a shortage of government funds for coast protection nationally, a council meeting was told.

Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Cahill, a businessman in Rossbeigh, proposed an emergency motion calling for urgent action, at yesterday’s meeting. He said the damage at the popular beach occurred during a high tide, a gap of 1,100 feet had been opened up and he was seriously concerned about what was going to happen next.

“I had predicted several years ago the dunes were eventually going to be breached, but successive governments failed to do anything about the erosion problem. It’s absolutely alarming to see what has happened,” said Mr Cahill.

The damage was caused by a combination of high tides, erosion and global warming, he claimed.

“People now have justified concerns about what will happen in the greater Castlemaine Harbour area and low lying lands for which the Rossbeigh dunes have acted as a protection barrier,” he said. “If action isn’t taken, erosion will continue and the dunes will eventually be washed away completely.”

Mr Cahill also feared an old stone tower, called the Castlemaine Beacon, near the point of the spit will also be washed away this winter. The tower had already been undermined, he said.

Responsibility for coastal protection is due to pass from the Department of Agriculture and Food to the Office of Public Works (OPW), on January 1 next, and Mr Cahill is to contact the minister of state with the responsibility for the OPW, Martin Mansergh, on the issue.

He was supported by South Kerry Independent Alliance councillor Michael Gleeson who said the inevitable had happened in Rossbeigh. “There are very serious implications for tourism and the fishing and farming communities who will suffer because of this.”

Kerry County Council has, in recent years, spent €4 million on coast protection in the Inch area of the Dingle Peninsula, but last year only €3 million was available nationally to tackle coastal erosion, the meeting was told.

Council director of services Charlie O’Sullivan said any money put up by the council would have to be matched by funds from government departments.

“We will be looking at all possibilities and a full report will be provided,” he added.

Irish Examiner

www.buckplanning.ie

Neighbour appeals Flatley home refusal

A NEIGHBOURING landowner and property developer has appealed the decision by Kerry Co Council to refuse the dancer Michael Flatley permission to build a large cottage on an island in Kenmare Bay, Co Kerry.

However, Mr Flatley of Castlehyde, Fermoy, Co Cork has not appealed the decision by the council last month to turn down his application for what his consultants described as "a modest" 9,100sq ft cottage on a 56 acre-site on the eastern tip of Rossmore Island. It is understood the appeal is without the dancer's consent.

The island, between Sneem and Kenmare, is connected by bridge to the mainland. The house is intended as a second home for Mr Flatley. The proposal for an L-shaped structure, included guest and staff quarters as well as substantial family quarters, courtyard, fountain and garages. It would have seen the demolition of an existing farmhouse.

In August, planners refused the application because of design, scale and visibility, as well as contravention of the Kerry County Development Plan.

Frank Fallon, who is renovating a property on Rossmore Island, has made a lengthy submission to An Bord Pleanála, arguing the refusal should be overturned.

Mr Fallon, who has an address at Newtownshandrom, Charleville, Co Cork and is also based in London, has told the board the project would inject a huge amount of enthusiasm and culture into the local area.

Mr Flatley and his family would provide much needed local employment, he claimed.

"Quite honestly I am absolutely astonished and equally underwhelmed that Kerry Co Council could possibly allow such a valued client to slip through their fingers," Mr Fallon writes.

A spokesman for Mr Fallon said his client would like to ensure Mr Flatley got permission for the land next door to himself. Mr Fallon also wanted some issues clarified, he said.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Flatley’s 9,100 sq ft island idyll rejected by planners

PLANS by dancer Michael Flatley to build a "modest" holiday retreat covering more than 9,000 square feet of a Co Kerry island have been rejected.

Kerry County Council yesterday refused planning permission for a proposal to build a cottage several times larger than an average family home on Rossmore island in Kenmare Bay.

The Lord of the Dance star had already scaled back plans for a 70,000 sq ft mansion, but planners decided the smaller proposal was out of character with the “sensitive” landscape of the area.

Flatley (50) had proposed an L-shaped one-and-a-half storey building, of 9,100 sq ft, to include a guest wing, staff quarters, central fountain, garage and playroom.

Refused

Described as “a modern interpretation of a traditional thatched cottage”, it was to be located at the island’s eastern edge and would be entered by a private laneway and would only be visible from the water. Among the project’s supporters were former Mayor of Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae.

Kerry Councty Council planners rejected the scheme on the grounds of its “design, scale and bulk, on an elevated, open and exposed site”.

It was also refused because the design was not “sympathetic” to the building it was to replace and would contravene the country development plan.

The planning authority also raised concerns about whether effluent could be adequately disposed of at the site.

“The proposed development would, therefore, be prejudicial to public health,” it added.

Flatley, who made his name with Riverdance, already owns Castlehyde House near Fermoy, Co Cork, which he restored at a cost of €50m. The restoration of the former home of Ireland’s first president, Douglas Hyde, has been hailed as the most impressive privately-funded project ever undertaken in the country. Flatley also has homes in Barbados, Chicago, France and London.

The decision can be appealed, and if it eventually gets the goahead Flatley’s neighbours would include the Smurfit family who have had a holiday home near Rossdohan in the Ring of Kerry and car importers the O'Flahertys.

Rossmore is only a few minutes’ drive from the gourmet attractions of Kenmare, Sneem and Parknasilla by bridge.

Paul Melia and Olivia Kelleher
Irish Independent

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Flatley plans for 'modest' 9,100 sq ft cottage turned down

PLANS BY dancer Michael Flatley to build a "modest cottage" on Rossmore Island in Kenmare Bay, near Sneem in Co Kerry, have been refused by Kerry County Council, according to planning sources.

The cottage was to be a second home after much larger plans for a permanent home would not be considered by the council.

The official result will not be posted until tomorrow. Flatley's planning consultants have been made aware of the result, though not officially. Aan appeal to An Bord Pleanála is thought likely.

Planners have recommended refusal on a number of grounds, including the size of the house and its impact on visual amenities of the area. They also maintained it would contravene the county development plan.

The 9,100 sq ft dwelling was to be set on 56 acres on the eastern tip of the island, which is connected by bridge to the mainland.

It involved the demolition of an existing farmhouse and the incorporation of farm buildings into the design.

The L-shaped structure, designed by a Geneva-based architect, included guest and staff quarters as well as substantial family quarters, courtyard and fountain along with garages.

The application had represented a compromise proposal after senior planners at a pre-planning meeting refused to consider a Palladian mansion of 70,000 sq ft for the sensitive site alongside an important special area of conservation governing the whole of the drowned glacial valley that is Kenmare Bay.

Both the Department of the Environment and An Taisce as well as a third party had made submissions.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Flatley's island planning application

MICHAEL Flatley is set to become Lord of the Island after lodging a planning application to build an exclusive off-shore retreat.

The dancer has asked for permission to build a new 848-sq m second home on a 56-acre plot on Rossmore Island.

Flatley -- who is approaching his 50th birthday -- paid €4m-plus last year for the land on the island off the south Kerry coast.

Unlike the more remote islands, Rossmore is directly connected to the mainland by bridge -- which means the gourmet dining and social attractions of Kenmare, Sneem and Parknasilla are only minutes' drive away.

He has requested permission to demolish an existing house on the site and to build a dwelling and associated works.

The application was lodged last week but a decision is not expected from Kerry County Council for several months.

It is understood he hired a team of top architects to design a dream holiday home for himself, his wife Niamh and their son, Michael Jnr. The star is understood to want a house that will reflect the wild nature of the area and fit in sympathetically with the environment.

The Chicago-born star already owns four homes -- his €50m mansion at Castlehyde in north Cork; his Georgian townhouse in Knightsbridge, London; his stunning villa in Monte Carlo and his holiday complex in Barbados.

Ironically, when he travels to the US he prefers to stay with his Illinois-based family.

However, he spends the bulk of his time at Castlehyde Manor in Fermoy. Flatley bought it for less than €4m eight years ago -- although it ultimately cost him almost €50m to return it to its 18th Century glory.

Castlehyde is now flood proof and boasts its own climate-controlled wine cellars, whiskey room, pool room, indoor gym, cinema and music room. The house also boasts an eight-bay reinforced garage, which houses his priceless collection of Rolls-Royce, Mercedes and Ferrari cars.

Edel Kennedy
Irish Independent

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Kerry councillors warned over site 'availability'

THE CHILDREN of landowners were coming into planners presenting unsuitable sites as "the only site available" to them from their parents, Kerry county manager Tom Curran said yesterday. This was quite unfair as it "put the gun" to planners' heads when other sites were available, he said.

Mr Curran appealed to councillors not to be unduly influenced by individual cases, but to look instead at the overall strategy for proper planning in the new county development plan. The capacity of the landscape had to be allowed to determine the number of houses allowed, and the same density could not be allowed in areas of prime special amenity as in other areas.

He said families who were giving children sites could be much more flexible in the choice of site offered. "If there was more flexibility from a family point of view, maybe some of the problems you are encountering as councillors could be resolved."

Mr Curran said that in one year alone, 2007, the council had granted permission for 3,968 units. This was enough to accommodate 9,920 people. In other words, Kerry County Council had granted enough planning permission in one year to accommodate 14 times the population increase in the census period 2002 to 2006.

He was responding to conflicting reports from councillors in advance of the new six-year plan, he told a special planning meeting.

Fine Gael councillor Johnny O'Connor said housing on the Ring of Kerry would not be a problem if landscaping and screening plans were set down and implemented.

Sinn Féin councillor Toireasa Ferris said in the coming years "no-body would get permission" in north Kerry. The difficulties being encountered were because of directives from the EU.

Labour councillor Pat Leahy from the Listowel electoral area said there had been a huge improvement in obtaining planning for farmers and others who owned land. But "the major problem now is for people who don't own land". Town dwellers who wished to move to the countryside were being refused planning on sites they had bought, he said.

Some councillors highlighted what they said was lack of consistency among planners. Cllr Norma Foley (FF) said "not all planners sing off the same hymn sheet" and guidelines for applicants should be more specific.

The draft plan will go on public display next month.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Delays to pier caused by ‘drip feeding’ of money

FURTHER delays in carrying out long-awaited pier improvements in Kerry can be expected if the Government continues to drip feed money for such work.

The warning came from county manager Tom Curran who told councillors he could no longer advise them to accept ‘piecemeal’ projects and expose the county council to large cash-flow problems it could not sustain.

In some cases, the council was given money by government departments to start projects, but had no guarantee of receiving funding to finish the jobs.

’Rather than having three or four projects going on at the same time, I believe it is better to finish one before we start another,’ Mr Curran said.

On his recommendation, councillors agreed to transfer €600,000 earmarked for a €2.5 million project at Renard pier this year, to finish the Valentia Island pier extension nearby. The Valentia project is estimated to cost €4.9m.

FF councillor Paul O’Donoghue supported the manager’s recommendation on the understanding that the focus would next year be on doing badly-needed work at Renard pier.

But, Independent councillor Danny Healy-Rae disagreed, saying money should be spent this year in Renard where boats were currently unable to berth as the pier was unsafe.

Mr Curran voiced concern about delays in recovering funding for a number of other projects from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, including €3m for coastal protection works at Inch.

Meanwhile, work has not yet started on the construction of a €8m pier at Cromane, near Killorglin, despite promises prior to the last three general elections that a new pier would be provided there.

After local disagreement in Cromane regarding a site for the pier was resolved, difficulties arose in relation to acquiring land for an access road to the pier site.

An Bord Pleanala has now received two objections to compulsory purchase orders being sought by Kerry County Council for the access road.

Irish Examiner

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Patio area planned for Collins home challenged

A PATIO decking area in Kells Bay, Co Kerry, attached to the rebuilding of the residence of former MEP and minister Gerry Collins has run into difficulties after a complaint to the planning department of Kerry County Council.

A private family retreat, the house, with a boathouse and slipway on to the sea, is frequently used by the Collins family.

Mr Collins said he was "devastated" at the burning and immediately set about plans to rebuild it. According to the plans submitted to the council by Mr Collins and his wife Hilary, the split-level bungalow is to be used as a retirement home. The application was lodged in June for reconstruction and extension of the bungalow including "extended patio deck" area. The development was granted permission in October.

The reconstruction is currently under way. However the extent of the decking has attracted a complaint to the council.

According to the Dublin-based complainant, who has been holidaying in the area since childhood, the protruding structure replaced a traditional inconspicuous stone wall and this and the bringing of rock into the area should have required special attention.

The "mound of boulders four metres high" was taking from the appearance of the beach and was visually obtrusive, it was claimed. The complainant also raised the question of a foreshore licence.

Planners have investigated and it is understood they have ruled out the necessity for a foreshore licence. However, they are taking issue with the placing of rock armour on the front of the decking area and are asking that this be addressed.

The Collins's engineers and architects have told the council they believe they are in full compliance with their planning permission.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Gas plant gets 'green light'

A MASSIVE €500m gas storage plant as big as five Croke Park pitches was approved yesterday.

Fears raised by residents about a high risk of explosions were dismissed by An Bord Pleanala which ordered the developers to pay the local community €200,000 a year.

The plant will be capable of supplying 60pc of our gas needs for the foreseeable future Five giant storage tanks, each as high as Liberty Hall and covering an area the size of a full-size football pitch will contain millions of tones of liquid natural gas (LNG).

The tanks, 50 metres high and 96 metres in diameter with 200,000 cubic metres capacity, will be built at the Shannon Estuary facility between Ballylongford and Tarbert in Co Kerry.

The plant's developers say the massive storage tanks will also contain strategic gas reserves which can be used in the event of a worldwide energy crisis.

The gas will be bought on the world market, liquefied, and then shipped to the Shannon plant in massive oil tankers where it will be piped into the five storage tanks.

The developers, Shannon LNG, an Irish subsidiary of US corporation Hess LNG Limited, plan to pipe the gas into the national grid at the rate of 28.3 million cubic metres a day.

But even though the project was approved yesterday by An Bord Pleanala with 40 separate conditions, the developers must now get planning permission to build a gas pipeline running 25km from the plant to the national grid.

They must also secure a pollution licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The company said afterwards that the plan allows Ireland to access multiple sources of gas from around the world delivering greater security and diversity of energy supply.

They would progress the development in ongoing consultation with the local community in order to minimise inconvenience and disturbance.

"Once operational, the terminal will be a very quiet and clean facility," it said.

Construction is due to begin in 2009 and the terminal operational by 2012 at the earliest.

Johnny McElligott of the Kilcolgan Residents Association told the Irish Independent yesterday that the concerns they raised at the inquiry about the risk of an accident or explosion at the plant and the effect on those living within a three-mile radius had not been dealt with by An Bord Pleanala.

The project was the second to be approved by An Bord Pleanala under the new fast-track planning process whereby projects of national importance go straight to the board, bypassing the local authority system.

It was decided within the 18-week timeframe following an eight-day oral hearing.

Among a raft of conditions is the stipulation that no gas can leave the site by tanker and must be sent via the national grid. The developers have also agreed to pay the €200,000 to the local community every year.

An Bord Pleanala, in its ruling, said it took account of the provisions of the National Development Plan in relation to security of energy supply, and Government policy to secure reliable electricity and gas supplies.

Disruptions

This policy also tries to diversify fuels used for power generation and to be prepared for "energy supply disruptions".

The Kerry County Development Plan 2003-2009, also identified the lands at Ballylongford/Tarbert as suitable for development as a premium deepwater port and for major industrial development and employment creation.

There will be up to 350 jobs during the construction phase and 50 permanent posts when the plant is up and running.

Bord Pleanala also took into account the accessibility of the site to sheltered deep water capable of being reached by the largest contemplated liquefied natural gas tanker ships.

Another factor was the proximity of the site to the national gas transmission grid at a point where there is sufficient capacity to accept the gas output of the terminal.

Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent

www.buckplanning.ie