MILLIONS OF euro announced for piers for the Great Blasket Island off Co Kerry are under review and will not be spent on the island in the near future, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Gaeltacht, Community and Rural Affairs.
Some €8.5 million was announced in 2002 for the Great Blasket Island, home to writer Peig Sayers and others, immediately before a general election.
Much of the funding was to be spent on the provision of new piers at Dun Chaoin on the mainland and on the island, on the purchase of the island and on conservation of buildings.
However, a planning dispute and objections to an application for a services centre on the island proposed by majority owner Blascaod Mór Teo held up the purchase of the island by the State for seven years.
Planning was granted last October for the building, but its construction was conditional on proper piers, An Bord Pleanála said after an oral hearing.
Ferrymen were divided on the need for a services centre, but they had stressed the need for piers.
Most of the island has now been sold to the State, which plans to designate it as a national historic park.
However, money is no longer available for the piers, a spokeswoman for Roinn na Gaeltachta confirmed yesterday, saying the matter was under review.
She said inhabited islands – the Great Blasket Island is not inhabited – were now the priority as far as island piers funding was concerned.
Local councillor Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald said it was his understanding the conservation of the old village buildings could go ahead without the piers being built.
There was an acceptance locally, he said, that the funding was being reviewed given the economic circumstances.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label great blasket island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great blasket island. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Friday, 20 February 2009
Survey plans for old village
Detailed surveys are to be carried out on the old village on the Great Blasket Island after the State bought land there for €2m.
Building conservation officers will carry out a survey with a view to stabilising the buildings, the Office of Public Works said yesterday.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Building conservation officers will carry out a survey with a view to stabilising the buildings, the Office of Public Works said yesterday.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 13 February 2009
State pays €2m for majority landholding on Great Blasket
THE STATE has purchased the majority landholding on the Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Co Kerry, ending years of protracted and often fractious negotiations to acquire the island.
However, Peig Sayers’s house and some tourist amenities will remain in private ownership.
The purchase of most of the landholdings of An Blascaod Mór Teo will bring most of the island into public ownership, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley said.
This would pave the way towards establishing the island as a national historic park and developing sustainable tourism, Mr Gormley said in a joint statement with Minister of State Dr Martin Mansergh, who has special responsibility for Arts and the Office of Public Works.
Worries have been increasingly voiced about the dire condition of the island’s old village, and the need to protect its rare wildlife and manage visitor numbers on the island, which has no proper pier, public toilet or facilities for the hundreds who are ferried to it daily in the summer.
The deal with An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owns 17 of the 25 landholdings on the 1,100-acre Great Blasket, was finalised this week, with €2 million provided by Mr Gormley’s department.
The money includes ferry rights.
The Minister described the purchase as “a major advancement of the objective to preserve an important component of our national cultural, historic and linguistic heritage”.
The island is associated with major Irish literary figures such as Sayers, Tomás Ó Criomhthain and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin.
Mr Gormley said it represented good value for money, given the potential of the asset for tourism in the region. Dr Mansergh said the Great Blasket was “a very special addition to the wide portfolio of heritage properties managed by OPW”.
An Blascaod Mór Teo will retain a number of properties, including Peig Sayers’s house. A small number of other properties will remain in individual private ownership also. Last year An Bord Pleanála granted the company, spearheaded by Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, permission for a cafe and services building.
For more than 20 years, the State has tried to acquire the property from An Blascaod Mór Teo. The 1989 Blasket Island Act introduced by then taoiseach Charles Haughey, who owned one of the Blaskets, would have seen compulsory purchase of the island, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1999, after a challenge by the private company.
There have been disputes over ferry rights, with bouncers placed on the island to prevent other private operators landing.
An ambitious forum begun by then Kerry county manager Martin Nolan brought the various parties together, including descendants of islanders now living in the US, and hammered out a common vision for the island.
The ultimate aim of that vision is to see the Great Blasket as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
However, Peig Sayers’s house and some tourist amenities will remain in private ownership.
The purchase of most of the landholdings of An Blascaod Mór Teo will bring most of the island into public ownership, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley said.
This would pave the way towards establishing the island as a national historic park and developing sustainable tourism, Mr Gormley said in a joint statement with Minister of State Dr Martin Mansergh, who has special responsibility for Arts and the Office of Public Works.
Worries have been increasingly voiced about the dire condition of the island’s old village, and the need to protect its rare wildlife and manage visitor numbers on the island, which has no proper pier, public toilet or facilities for the hundreds who are ferried to it daily in the summer.
The deal with An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owns 17 of the 25 landholdings on the 1,100-acre Great Blasket, was finalised this week, with €2 million provided by Mr Gormley’s department.
The money includes ferry rights.
The Minister described the purchase as “a major advancement of the objective to preserve an important component of our national cultural, historic and linguistic heritage”.
The island is associated with major Irish literary figures such as Sayers, Tomás Ó Criomhthain and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin.
Mr Gormley said it represented good value for money, given the potential of the asset for tourism in the region. Dr Mansergh said the Great Blasket was “a very special addition to the wide portfolio of heritage properties managed by OPW”.
An Blascaod Mór Teo will retain a number of properties, including Peig Sayers’s house. A small number of other properties will remain in individual private ownership also. Last year An Bord Pleanála granted the company, spearheaded by Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, permission for a cafe and services building.
For more than 20 years, the State has tried to acquire the property from An Blascaod Mór Teo. The 1989 Blasket Island Act introduced by then taoiseach Charles Haughey, who owned one of the Blaskets, would have seen compulsory purchase of the island, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1999, after a challenge by the private company.
There have been disputes over ferry rights, with bouncers placed on the island to prevent other private operators landing.
An ambitious forum begun by then Kerry county manager Martin Nolan brought the various parties together, including descendants of islanders now living in the US, and hammered out a common vision for the island.
The ultimate aim of that vision is to see the Great Blasket as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Great Blasket Island planning application granted
AN BORD Pleanála has granted permission for a cafe and visitors' services building on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Kerry, but with a number of conditions including that new piers are in place before construction can take place.
In theory, the granting of permission paves the way for the State to purchase most of the 1,100 acre Great Blasket from a number of private owners and turn it into a historic park.
The 330sq m services building and tractor store in a greenfield site west of the old village will be the most significant development on the island home of the Irish writers Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Muiris Ó Suilleabháin and Peig Sayers in almost 60 years. Most of the old village, abandoned in 1953, is in dire condition.
Being able to proceed with the services building is part of the conditions of sale of An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) property. BMT is the island's largest landholder. Under the deal, BMT will retain Peig Sayers's house, the services building and a number of other buildings.
Director of BMT, Dingle-based solicitor Peter Callery, yesterday welcomed the appeals board's decision, as did the Office of Public Works. The OPW told a hearing by the board in August that the deal was not perfect, but was the best it could get.
It was not clear yesterday if the €8.5 million Government funding, announced weeks prior to the general election in 2002, was still available for the purchase of 95 per cent of the island, restoration of the old houses and the construction of new piers.
Kerry County Council had granted permission for the 50-seat cafe, toilets and tractor store last year, but this was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by a number of third parties, including Sue Redican, who is known as the "Blasket Island Weaver" and has lived seasonally on the island for almost 20 years.
Ms Redican has already indicated she may take a High Court action if planning is granted, and she has also written to the EU Commissioner for the Environment to complain that the island's conservation status and various European designations were not being safeguarded by the Government. She told the hearing the true essence of the island risked being lost forever.
A spokesman for the OPW welcomed the board's decision, saying the aspiration of the Government was to acquire the island. The Minister for Finance would have to sanction any future land purchase by the OPW. Deposits had already been paid and about €700,000 paid in plans for the piers, the spokesman said. The purchase of lands from BMT and other owners, together with ferry rights, will cost up to €3 million.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In theory, the granting of permission paves the way for the State to purchase most of the 1,100 acre Great Blasket from a number of private owners and turn it into a historic park.
The 330sq m services building and tractor store in a greenfield site west of the old village will be the most significant development on the island home of the Irish writers Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Muiris Ó Suilleabháin and Peig Sayers in almost 60 years. Most of the old village, abandoned in 1953, is in dire condition.
Being able to proceed with the services building is part of the conditions of sale of An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) property. BMT is the island's largest landholder. Under the deal, BMT will retain Peig Sayers's house, the services building and a number of other buildings.
Director of BMT, Dingle-based solicitor Peter Callery, yesterday welcomed the appeals board's decision, as did the Office of Public Works. The OPW told a hearing by the board in August that the deal was not perfect, but was the best it could get.
It was not clear yesterday if the €8.5 million Government funding, announced weeks prior to the general election in 2002, was still available for the purchase of 95 per cent of the island, restoration of the old houses and the construction of new piers.
Kerry County Council had granted permission for the 50-seat cafe, toilets and tractor store last year, but this was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by a number of third parties, including Sue Redican, who is known as the "Blasket Island Weaver" and has lived seasonally on the island for almost 20 years.
Ms Redican has already indicated she may take a High Court action if planning is granted, and she has also written to the EU Commissioner for the Environment to complain that the island's conservation status and various European designations were not being safeguarded by the Government. She told the hearing the true essence of the island risked being lost forever.
A spokesman for the OPW welcomed the board's decision, saying the aspiration of the Government was to acquire the island. The Minister for Finance would have to sanction any future land purchase by the OPW. Deposits had already been paid and about €700,000 paid in plans for the piers, the spokesman said. The purchase of lands from BMT and other owners, together with ferry rights, will cost up to €3 million.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 8 August 2008
Claim rats pose threat to Blasket bird colony
THE possible arrival of rats on the Great Blasket Island could have “devastating consequences” for seabird colonies there, a BirdWatch Ireland expert warned.
The claim was reiterated yesterday at an oral planning hearing in Dingle into proposals for a cafe on the Blasket island.
It was suggested rats could get onto the island from larger boats coming from Dingle with construction materials and provisions.
BirdWatch Ireland senior conservation and policy officer Siobhan Egan said bringing more visitors onto the island, in the wake of development, posed a direct threat to birds’ nests.
There was a considerable risk of invasive species coming in with building materials, she warned. “The arrival of a single, pregnant brown rat on An Blascaod Mór [Great Blasket] would have devastating consequences for the Manx Shearwater colony,” she said.
Ms Egan said that seabirds on the Great Blasket were as valuable to many visitors as the island’s cultural significance.
The island, famous as a repository of the old Gaelic traditions and for its writers and storytellers, was evacuated in 1953. The island village is now in ruins and rapidly falling into decay.
Four people are appealing against a decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission to Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) for a cafe, toilets and supporting facilities on the island.
In its submission, BirdWatch said it had significant concerns about development on the Great Blasket without a proper assessment of the risks to the globally important bird populations being undertaken.
Ms Egan said failure to safeguard the birds risked breaches of EU legislation.
She described the Great Blasket as one of a cluster of eight islands, in south-west Kerry, that formed a world important “supercolony” for Manx shearwaters and storm petrels.
The Great Blasket itself was a stronghold for the nocturnal Manx Shearwater and, with about 3,500 of them, had one of the largest colonies in the country.
Other species included puffins, chough, kittiwake and fulmar.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The claim was reiterated yesterday at an oral planning hearing in Dingle into proposals for a cafe on the Blasket island.
It was suggested rats could get onto the island from larger boats coming from Dingle with construction materials and provisions.
BirdWatch Ireland senior conservation and policy officer Siobhan Egan said bringing more visitors onto the island, in the wake of development, posed a direct threat to birds’ nests.
There was a considerable risk of invasive species coming in with building materials, she warned. “The arrival of a single, pregnant brown rat on An Blascaod Mór [Great Blasket] would have devastating consequences for the Manx Shearwater colony,” she said.
Ms Egan said that seabirds on the Great Blasket were as valuable to many visitors as the island’s cultural significance.
The island, famous as a repository of the old Gaelic traditions and for its writers and storytellers, was evacuated in 1953. The island village is now in ruins and rapidly falling into decay.
Four people are appealing against a decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission to Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) for a cafe, toilets and supporting facilities on the island.
In its submission, BirdWatch said it had significant concerns about development on the Great Blasket without a proper assessment of the risks to the globally important bird populations being undertaken.
Ms Egan said failure to safeguard the birds risked breaches of EU legislation.
She described the Great Blasket as one of a cluster of eight islands, in south-west Kerry, that formed a world important “supercolony” for Manx shearwaters and storm petrels.
The Great Blasket itself was a stronghold for the nocturnal Manx Shearwater and, with about 3,500 of them, had one of the largest colonies in the country.
Other species included puffins, chough, kittiwake and fulmar.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
State says Blasket deal best it can get
THE STATE had been trying to purchase the Great Blasket Island so it could manage it properly as a historic park for "years and years and years" and though not perfect, the current position was "the best deal" it could get, an oral hearing was told yesterday.
Under this agreement the OPW would purchase most of the holdings from the company that owns most of the island. The contract with the company An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) was not completed because it was subject to the outcome of the Bord Pleanála hearing, commissioner with the Office of Public Works David Byers said.
The island was "entirely privately owned" and there was no guarantee that the applicant, An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owned most of it, would sell the majority of its stake to the State even if planning permission for the services building was granted, Mr Byers said.
Ruairí Somers, the planning inspector in charge of the oral hearing, was forced to intervene a number of times yesterday. He asked contributors to steer clear of "personalised" remarks during heated exchanges on the second day of the hearing into the development of a cafe, wildlife ranger and services building on the historic island off the Kerry coast.
John O'Sullivan, barrister for BMT, accused appellants of making remarks bordering on slander, and in one of the exchanges Peter Callery, director of BMT, accused appellant and island weaver Sue Redican of telling a barefaced lie.
In turn Ms Redican accused BMT of employing "bullying tactics" throughout the process.
BMT in its submission said the cafe proposal was a considerable improvement on its first application, refused by An Bord Pleanála in 2005.The building was located in a way that would be least intrusive. Some 95 per cent of its other property on the island would be sold to the State subject to the granting of planning permission for the services building, Mr O'Sullivan said.
He added that BMT had no intention of seeking to carry out further development. "It [ the building proposal] contains nothing contrary to the published conclusions of the Blasket Forum and the area plan, debated worldwide. The only persons to object are four individuals who clearly from their own evidence have vested interests in delaying or preventing the development."
Kerry County Council senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy strongly rejected an allegation by appellant and ferry operator Michael Shearan of "collusion" between the council and BMT, after it emerged that the island had been reduced from an area of prime special amenity to a secondary amenity in the council's plans to facilitate the development of a cafe and other facilities in 2003.
Mr Sheehy said in the Blasket Island Forum report of 2002 that there was agreement on the need for a cafe and toilets. The widely based forum had involved 63 parties and bodies including island descendants in the USA.
Gabriel Gleeson of the OPW said the site chosen for development was suitable and the original scale of the development had been reduced considerably to take its concerns into account.
The hearing continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Under this agreement the OPW would purchase most of the holdings from the company that owns most of the island. The contract with the company An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) was not completed because it was subject to the outcome of the Bord Pleanála hearing, commissioner with the Office of Public Works David Byers said.
The island was "entirely privately owned" and there was no guarantee that the applicant, An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owned most of it, would sell the majority of its stake to the State even if planning permission for the services building was granted, Mr Byers said.
Ruairí Somers, the planning inspector in charge of the oral hearing, was forced to intervene a number of times yesterday. He asked contributors to steer clear of "personalised" remarks during heated exchanges on the second day of the hearing into the development of a cafe, wildlife ranger and services building on the historic island off the Kerry coast.
John O'Sullivan, barrister for BMT, accused appellants of making remarks bordering on slander, and in one of the exchanges Peter Callery, director of BMT, accused appellant and island weaver Sue Redican of telling a barefaced lie.
In turn Ms Redican accused BMT of employing "bullying tactics" throughout the process.
BMT in its submission said the cafe proposal was a considerable improvement on its first application, refused by An Bord Pleanála in 2005.The building was located in a way that would be least intrusive. Some 95 per cent of its other property on the island would be sold to the State subject to the granting of planning permission for the services building, Mr O'Sullivan said.
He added that BMT had no intention of seeking to carry out further development. "It [ the building proposal] contains nothing contrary to the published conclusions of the Blasket Forum and the area plan, debated worldwide. The only persons to object are four individuals who clearly from their own evidence have vested interests in delaying or preventing the development."
Kerry County Council senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy strongly rejected an allegation by appellant and ferry operator Michael Shearan of "collusion" between the council and BMT, after it emerged that the island had been reduced from an area of prime special amenity to a secondary amenity in the council's plans to facilitate the development of a cafe and other facilities in 2003.
Mr Sheehy said in the Blasket Island Forum report of 2002 that there was agreement on the need for a cafe and toilets. The widely based forum had involved 63 parties and bodies including island descendants in the USA.
Gabriel Gleeson of the OPW said the site chosen for development was suitable and the original scale of the development had been reduced considerably to take its concerns into account.
The hearing continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Island traditions threatened as cafe culture row brews
THE true essence of the Great Blasket Island risks being lost forever if a cafe and services development goes ahead, a Bord Pleanala hearing was told yesterday.
The sale of most of the 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependant on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mor Teo (BMT), the company which owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could stand to gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four people appealing against the BMT plans for the new greenfield construction on the island, which was abandoned in the 1950s.
Ms Redican said: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said construction on the Blasket Island required "more than a normal health and safety plan".
Accidents
She had personally witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island.
The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction, Ms Redican said.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is incapable of handling the proposed traffic," she said.
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island", she said.
Old houses, including Peig Sayers' house, could be used, she suggested.
Ms Redican also said BMT were "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and were negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island" under the State's buyout plans.
She claimed "agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany but living in the Dingle Peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building which would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by Kerry County Council stipulated that any new development on the island should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The new development measured 296 sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seater cafe. It was two to three times larger than any other building on the island.
Ms Wilkens also raised the question of brown rats getting onto the island on boats from Dingle with building materials.
There were no rats on the Blasket and they could wipe out the entire Manx Shearwater bird population, a protected species, she added.
Anna Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The sale of most of the 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependant on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mor Teo (BMT), the company which owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could stand to gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four people appealing against the BMT plans for the new greenfield construction on the island, which was abandoned in the 1950s.
Ms Redican said: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said construction on the Blasket Island required "more than a normal health and safety plan".
Accidents
She had personally witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island.
The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction, Ms Redican said.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is incapable of handling the proposed traffic," she said.
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island", she said.
Old houses, including Peig Sayers' house, could be used, she suggested.
Ms Redican also said BMT were "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and were negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island" under the State's buyout plans.
She claimed "agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany but living in the Dingle Peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building which would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by Kerry County Council stipulated that any new development on the island should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The new development measured 296 sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seater cafe. It was two to three times larger than any other building on the island.
Ms Wilkens also raised the question of brown rats getting onto the island on boats from Dingle with building materials.
There were no rats on the Blasket and they could wipe out the entire Manx Shearwater bird population, a protected species, she added.
Anna Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Essence of Great Blasket island risks being lost, hearing told
THE TRUE essence of the Great Blasket island risked being lost forever if inappropriate development was allowed, a packed An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in Dingle was told yesterday.
The sale of most of the approximately 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependent on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT), the company that owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four appellants against BMT plans for the new greenfield construction.
She told the opening of the hearing: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said island construction required "more than a normal health and safety plan". She had witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island and in one case the operator was injured. The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village, and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is totally incapable of handling the proposed traffic."
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island". Old houses including Peig Sayers' house could be used, Ms Redican said.
BMT was "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and was negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island", under the State's buyout plans. These exclusive demands was leading to division in the community and to those who had come together to form a management plan. "Agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany, but living on the Dingle peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building that would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by the county council stipulated that any new development should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The development measured 296sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seat cafe. It would be out of scale and there was nothing basic about having so many toilets on an uninhabited off-shore island.
The hearing, chaired by An Bord Pleanála inspector Ruairi Somers, continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The sale of most of the approximately 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependent on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT), the company that owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four appellants against BMT plans for the new greenfield construction.
She told the opening of the hearing: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said island construction required "more than a normal health and safety plan". She had witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island and in one case the operator was injured. The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village, and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is totally incapable of handling the proposed traffic."
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island". Old houses including Peig Sayers' house could be used, Ms Redican said.
BMT was "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and was negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island", under the State's buyout plans. These exclusive demands was leading to division in the community and to those who had come together to form a management plan. "Agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany, but living on the Dingle peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building that would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by the county council stipulated that any new development should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The development measured 296sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seat cafe. It would be out of scale and there was nothing basic about having so many toilets on an uninhabited off-shore island.
The hearing, chaired by An Bord Pleanála inspector Ruairi Somers, continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Oral hearing on Blasket café
Objectors to plans for a development on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Kerry will air their grievances at a planning hearing this week, writes Áine Maguire.
An Bord Pleanála is holding a three-day oral hearing into plans by An Blascaoid Mór Teoranta (BMT), which owns a large portion of the land on the island, to build a cafe and services building.
The proposed building is a key part of an agreement between BMT and the Office of Public Works, which provides for the state to purchase much of BMT’s land if permission for the building is granted.
The government has set aside €8.5 million to develop the island into a national park and apply for Unesco World Heritage Site status.
BMT received planning permission for a development on the island from Kerry County Council in 2005, but this was later overturned by An Bord Pleanála.
A revised application by BMT was granted planning permission by the council in November last year, but it has been appealed by a number of parties.
Sue Redican, a weaver who has lived on the island for 21 years, said she objected to the development on the basis that the proposed building was visually obtrusive.
The Bord Pleanála hearing will take place from Tuesday to Thursday at the Institute of Education and Celtic Culture in Dingle. A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála said that the planning body expected to issue its decision on September 29.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanála is holding a three-day oral hearing into plans by An Blascaoid Mór Teoranta (BMT), which owns a large portion of the land on the island, to build a cafe and services building.
The proposed building is a key part of an agreement between BMT and the Office of Public Works, which provides for the state to purchase much of BMT’s land if permission for the building is granted.
The government has set aside €8.5 million to develop the island into a national park and apply for Unesco World Heritage Site status.
BMT received planning permission for a development on the island from Kerry County Council in 2005, but this was later overturned by An Bord Pleanála.
A revised application by BMT was granted planning permission by the council in November last year, but it has been appealed by a number of parties.
Sue Redican, a weaver who has lived on the island for 21 years, said she objected to the development on the basis that the proposed building was visually obtrusive.
The Bord Pleanála hearing will take place from Tuesday to Thursday at the Institute of Education and Celtic Culture in Dingle. A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála said that the planning body expected to issue its decision on September 29.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 1 August 2008
Blasket campaigner asks EU to stop development
THE EU commissioner for the environment has been asked to intervene to save the Great Blasket Island from further development and to stop works that are under way.
The historic Irish writers' island, deserted in the 1950s, has a number of unique natural habitats and rare species including several important sea bird species.
A submission by Blasket Island weaver Sue Redican to Stavros Dimas has been copied to a number of EU officials and MEPs. Ms Redican claims that the island risks being spoiled forever, a number of EU habitats directives are being ignored and public ownership issues have not been sorted in the State's part-buyout plans.
A Bord Pleanála oral hearing into a proposal by the majority landowner An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) to build a services building including a café, tractor store, wildlife rangers' facility and public toilet begins in Dingle next week.
The building, which will be retained by BMT, forms a key part of an agreement between the OPW and BMT for the State's purchase of the island. The development was given the go-ahead by Kerry County Council last year, but appealed by a number of parties, including Ms Redican, to An Bord Pleanála.
The State has been attempting to purchase the island from private landowners including BMT for almost 20 years. It aims to turn it into a national park and apply for Unesco World Heritage Site status; €8.5 million has been set aside for the purchase, preservation of the island and development of new piers.
This is the second attempt by BMT to build a services building. An Bord Pleanála rejected a similar proposal in 2005.
Peter Callery, director of BMT, has made it clear he is only going to sell much of BMT's share of the island if the building catering for up to 400 people a day gets the go-ahead.
Ms Redican has written to Mr Dimas to say that the buyout plans hand over too many rights to BMT and other landowners and access issues need to be addressed.
She claims the Government is failing to protect and monitor the island's rare habitats and is in contravention of seven articles and directives.
Some works are currently under way after planning was granted in 2004, but they have caused undue interference to water courses, pathways and habitats which should have been preserved under EU legislation, according to Ms Redican.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The historic Irish writers' island, deserted in the 1950s, has a number of unique natural habitats and rare species including several important sea bird species.
A submission by Blasket Island weaver Sue Redican to Stavros Dimas has been copied to a number of EU officials and MEPs. Ms Redican claims that the island risks being spoiled forever, a number of EU habitats directives are being ignored and public ownership issues have not been sorted in the State's part-buyout plans.
A Bord Pleanála oral hearing into a proposal by the majority landowner An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) to build a services building including a café, tractor store, wildlife rangers' facility and public toilet begins in Dingle next week.
The building, which will be retained by BMT, forms a key part of an agreement between the OPW and BMT for the State's purchase of the island. The development was given the go-ahead by Kerry County Council last year, but appealed by a number of parties, including Ms Redican, to An Bord Pleanála.
The State has been attempting to purchase the island from private landowners including BMT for almost 20 years. It aims to turn it into a national park and apply for Unesco World Heritage Site status; €8.5 million has been set aside for the purchase, preservation of the island and development of new piers.
This is the second attempt by BMT to build a services building. An Bord Pleanála rejected a similar proposal in 2005.
Peter Callery, director of BMT, has made it clear he is only going to sell much of BMT's share of the island if the building catering for up to 400 people a day gets the go-ahead.
Ms Redican has written to Mr Dimas to say that the buyout plans hand over too many rights to BMT and other landowners and access issues need to be addressed.
She claims the Government is failing to protect and monitor the island's rare habitats and is in contravention of seven articles and directives.
Some works are currently under way after planning was granted in 2004, but they have caused undue interference to water courses, pathways and habitats which should have been preserved under EU legislation, according to Ms Redican.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Date set for planning appeal on Great Blasket cafe development
LONG-RUNNING plans to provide a cafe and other services on Great Blasket island will be the subject of a Bord Pleanála hearing in Dingle next month.
Organisations and people who are objecting, or submitting reservations about the plans, have been invited to attend the hearing.
Approval was given to Blascaod Mór Teo, the company that owns most of the island, by Kerry County Council last November.
A €10 million Government plan to have the island designated a National Historic Park hinges on the green light being given to the development.
After planning was granted, Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, a director of Blascaod Mór Teo, said the government’s purchase of the island could proceed quickly if there was no appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
But appeals were soon lodged with the board. Concerns were expressed about the size of the building, effects on wildlife and the environment and waste management issues.
Nine parties who submitted objections, or observations, have been invited to the oral hearing. It is scheduled for August 5-7, at the Institute of Education and Celtic Culture, Green Street, Dingle.
As well as the applicants and the council, the following have also been invited to attend the oral hearing: An Taisce, Fáilte Ireland, the Heritage Council, the Arts Council, Sue Redican, Michael Sheeran, Virginia Brownlow, Britta Wilkins and Simon Hambrook.
Some local people are critical of the timing of the hearing, saying they may be too busy to attend as it will be held during the peak tourist season.
Blascaod Mór Teo, which owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the Great Blasket, has been engaged for many years in difficult purchase negotiations with the Government.
The company is seeking to develop a cafe, service building comprising a kitchen, stores, toilets, first aid and ranger room, before reaching a final agreement on its sale.
A previous application for a cafe was turned down, in 2004, on the grounds that the building would be too large and visually obtrusive.
Last November, Mr Callery welcomed the council’s granting of the all-clear for a smaller building.
But he also indicated his company may not go to the expense of submitting a third application in the event of current objections being upheld by An Bord Pleanála.
The decision to grant planning was also welcomed by the Office of Public Works which has been negotiating on behalf of the Government.
Evacuated in 1953, the Irish-speaking island was best known for its writers and storytellers and as a repository of the old Gaelic culture.
A number of ferries take visitors on day trips to the island, lying three miles off the west Kerry coastline.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Organisations and people who are objecting, or submitting reservations about the plans, have been invited to attend the hearing.
Approval was given to Blascaod Mór Teo, the company that owns most of the island, by Kerry County Council last November.
A €10 million Government plan to have the island designated a National Historic Park hinges on the green light being given to the development.
After planning was granted, Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, a director of Blascaod Mór Teo, said the government’s purchase of the island could proceed quickly if there was no appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
But appeals were soon lodged with the board. Concerns were expressed about the size of the building, effects on wildlife and the environment and waste management issues.
Nine parties who submitted objections, or observations, have been invited to the oral hearing. It is scheduled for August 5-7, at the Institute of Education and Celtic Culture, Green Street, Dingle.
As well as the applicants and the council, the following have also been invited to attend the oral hearing: An Taisce, Fáilte Ireland, the Heritage Council, the Arts Council, Sue Redican, Michael Sheeran, Virginia Brownlow, Britta Wilkins and Simon Hambrook.
Some local people are critical of the timing of the hearing, saying they may be too busy to attend as it will be held during the peak tourist season.
Blascaod Mór Teo, which owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the Great Blasket, has been engaged for many years in difficult purchase negotiations with the Government.
The company is seeking to develop a cafe, service building comprising a kitchen, stores, toilets, first aid and ranger room, before reaching a final agreement on its sale.
A previous application for a cafe was turned down, in 2004, on the grounds that the building would be too large and visually obtrusive.
Last November, Mr Callery welcomed the council’s granting of the all-clear for a smaller building.
But he also indicated his company may not go to the expense of submitting a third application in the event of current objections being upheld by An Bord Pleanála.
The decision to grant planning was also welcomed by the Office of Public Works which has been negotiating on behalf of the Government.
Evacuated in 1953, the Irish-speaking island was best known for its writers and storytellers and as a repository of the old Gaelic culture.
A number of ferries take visitors on day trips to the island, lying three miles off the west Kerry coastline.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Oral hearing on Blasket plan
An oral hearing is to take place into plans to develop new buildings on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Co Kerry.
Last year Kerry County Council granted permission for a cafe and services building to the company that owns property on the island, An Blascaod Mór Teo.
However, the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála last December and a decision was deferred recently.
A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála yesterday said it had now been decided to hold an oral hearing first, but no date for the hearing had been set.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Last year Kerry County Council granted permission for a cafe and services building to the company that owns property on the island, An Blascaod Mór Teo.
However, the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála last December and a decision was deferred recently.
A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála yesterday said it had now been decided to hold an oral hearing first, but no date for the hearing had been set.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Blasket Island development ruling delayed
A TORTUOUS saga surrounding Government plans to buy the Great Blasket Island is set to continue even further, it emerged at the weekend.
An Bord Pleanala has deferred until July its decision on a key development for the island - a café and supporting facilities.
For almost 20 years, Government proposals for the future of the literary Kerry island have hit a series of obstacles.
Crucially, the purchase plan now hinges on the granting of planning for the café.
Blascaod Mor Teo, the company seeking permission to build the cafe, owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the island and was given planning approval by Kerry County Council, last November.
However, appeals were afterwards lodged with An Bord Pleanala which had been expected to give its decision on April 24.
That decision has now been put back to July 18.
To date, the company has twice been given permission by the county council for the café, the first time being in 2004.
It is unlikely, however, to reapply if the current appeal is upheld.
Last November, Blascaod Mor Teo director Peter Callery said the purchase of the island and the building of new piers could proceed quickly, if there was no appeal.
But, he also said it was "doubtful" if the company would reapply for planning in the event of the appeal being successful.
Mr Callery, a Dingle solicitor, said enough money had been spent on the project and they did not want to waste any more.
The 2004 application was refused on the grounds that the building would be too large and visually obtrusive. Permission given last November was for a smaller building, with conditions attached.
The decision to grant planning was welcomed by the Office of Public which has been negotiating for many years on behalf of the Government, and local supporters of the project.
People in the Dingle Peninsula are now anxiously awaiting what could be a final say on the issue from An Bord Pleanala.
The long-term plan is to have the Great Blasket designated as a National Historic Park.
The €10 million project also involves the building of two new piers, one on the island and the other at Dunquin, on the mainland.
It proposed to leave the ruined village, evacuated more than half a century ago, undisturbed with visitor numbers to the island being limited.
By Donal Hickey
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanala has deferred until July its decision on a key development for the island - a café and supporting facilities.
For almost 20 years, Government proposals for the future of the literary Kerry island have hit a series of obstacles.
Crucially, the purchase plan now hinges on the granting of planning for the café.
Blascaod Mor Teo, the company seeking permission to build the cafe, owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the island and was given planning approval by Kerry County Council, last November.
However, appeals were afterwards lodged with An Bord Pleanala which had been expected to give its decision on April 24.
That decision has now been put back to July 18.
To date, the company has twice been given permission by the county council for the café, the first time being in 2004.
It is unlikely, however, to reapply if the current appeal is upheld.
Last November, Blascaod Mor Teo director Peter Callery said the purchase of the island and the building of new piers could proceed quickly, if there was no appeal.
But, he also said it was "doubtful" if the company would reapply for planning in the event of the appeal being successful.
Mr Callery, a Dingle solicitor, said enough money had been spent on the project and they did not want to waste any more.
The 2004 application was refused on the grounds that the building would be too large and visually obtrusive. Permission given last November was for a smaller building, with conditions attached.
The decision to grant planning was welcomed by the Office of Public which has been negotiating for many years on behalf of the Government, and local supporters of the project.
People in the Dingle Peninsula are now anxiously awaiting what could be a final say on the issue from An Bord Pleanala.
The long-term plan is to have the Great Blasket designated as a National Historic Park.
The €10 million project also involves the building of two new piers, one on the island and the other at Dunquin, on the mainland.
It proposed to leave the ruined village, evacuated more than half a century ago, undisturbed with visitor numbers to the island being limited.
By Donal Hickey
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Great Blasket plan runs into difficulties
A LONG-RUNNING plan by the Government to buy the Great Blasket island has run into difficulties yet again.
It has been confirmed by An Bord Pleanála that two people are objecting to a recent decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission for a café on the island.
The green light for the café and facilities was given to Blascaod Mor Teo, in November.
Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, a director of Blascaod Mor Teo which owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the island, said at the time the purchase could proceed quickly if there was no appeal to Bord Pleannála.
However, Sue Redican, claimed the island would not get World Heritage Site status if the café proposal and other facilities, was allowed go ahead
Ms Redican, a resident on the Great Blasket for 20 years, also raised concerns about environmental impact and waste management issues.
Virginia Brownlow, a regular camper on the island, was also among previous objectors.
Ms Brownlow, from Co Waterford, objected to the size of the proposed building and feared the effect of the project on the island’s wildlife.
She was also concerned about any damage to the old village where the island writers lived more than 50 years ago.
Last November, Mr Callery welcomed the council’s all-clear for a smaller building.
However, he indicated his company may not submit a third application in the event of further objections.
The decision to grant planning was welcomed by the Office of Public Works which has been negotiating on behalf of the government.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
It has been confirmed by An Bord Pleanála that two people are objecting to a recent decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission for a café on the island.
The green light for the café and facilities was given to Blascaod Mor Teo, in November.
Dingle solicitor Peter Callery, a director of Blascaod Mor Teo which owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the island, said at the time the purchase could proceed quickly if there was no appeal to Bord Pleannála.
However, Sue Redican, claimed the island would not get World Heritage Site status if the café proposal and other facilities, was allowed go ahead
Ms Redican, a resident on the Great Blasket for 20 years, also raised concerns about environmental impact and waste management issues.
Virginia Brownlow, a regular camper on the island, was also among previous objectors.
Ms Brownlow, from Co Waterford, objected to the size of the proposed building and feared the effect of the project on the island’s wildlife.
She was also concerned about any damage to the old village where the island writers lived more than 50 years ago.
Last November, Mr Callery welcomed the council’s all-clear for a smaller building.
However, he indicated his company may not submit a third application in the event of further objections.
The decision to grant planning was welcomed by the Office of Public Works which has been negotiating on behalf of the government.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Appeals lodged against plan for building on Great Blasket
Appeals have been lodged against plans by An Blascaod Mór Teoranta for a cafe and services building on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Kerry.
The realisation of the building is an integral part of the sale of most of the company's property on the island to the State, hammered out this summer.
New piers, paths and conservation of buildings are on hold until the building goes ahead, under the terms of the agreement reached with the OPW this summer.
A previous application for a somewhat larger services building was turned down by An Bord Pleanála two years ago.
The historic Irish writers' island, home to Tomás Ó Criomhtháin, Seán Ó Suilleabháin and Peig Sayers, also has a number of unique natural habitats and rare species. Already a special area of conservation, it is expected to be designated shortly as a special protected area for birds.
Last month Kerry County Council granted planning to An Blascaod Mór Teo, for the 330sq m construction, including a ranger room, a separate store for a tractor and a septic tank.
The appeals to An Bord Pleanála this week have been lodged by Sue Redican, the Blasket Island weaver, and by another third party.
Ms Redican, who has lived on the island for 20 years, said she feared the island's natural resources would be exploited for profit.
She has questioned how materials for the new building are to be transported from the pier and says the septic tank is inadequate.
Issues of scale and size and integration into the landscape have also been raised.
Dr Catherine McMullin, honorary planning officer with An Taisce in Kerry, said yesterday it was studying the appeal and expected to make a submission to An Bord Pleanála.
An Taisce has already questioned how a modern building will fit into an unspoilt island and how it is to be serviced with electricity.
The State has been attempting to purchase the island for almost 20 years.
It aims to turn it a national park and candidate for Unesco World Heritage Site status.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The realisation of the building is an integral part of the sale of most of the company's property on the island to the State, hammered out this summer.
New piers, paths and conservation of buildings are on hold until the building goes ahead, under the terms of the agreement reached with the OPW this summer.
A previous application for a somewhat larger services building was turned down by An Bord Pleanála two years ago.
The historic Irish writers' island, home to Tomás Ó Criomhtháin, Seán Ó Suilleabháin and Peig Sayers, also has a number of unique natural habitats and rare species. Already a special area of conservation, it is expected to be designated shortly as a special protected area for birds.
Last month Kerry County Council granted planning to An Blascaod Mór Teo, for the 330sq m construction, including a ranger room, a separate store for a tractor and a septic tank.
The appeals to An Bord Pleanála this week have been lodged by Sue Redican, the Blasket Island weaver, and by another third party.
Ms Redican, who has lived on the island for 20 years, said she feared the island's natural resources would be exploited for profit.
She has questioned how materials for the new building are to be transported from the pier and says the septic tank is inadequate.
Issues of scale and size and integration into the landscape have also been raised.
Dr Catherine McMullin, honorary planning officer with An Taisce in Kerry, said yesterday it was studying the appeal and expected to make a submission to An Bord Pleanála.
An Taisce has already questioned how a modern building will fit into an unspoilt island and how it is to be serviced with electricity.
The State has been attempting to purchase the island for almost 20 years.
It aims to turn it a national park and candidate for Unesco World Heritage Site status.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)