Kerry council shoots down rural holiday-home proposal

A MOVE by a group of Kerry councillors to allow private houses to be sold as holiday homes after they have been lived in by the original owners for two years has failed.

Former Kerry Mayor Michael Healy-Rae, who has been campaigning for an easing of planning regulations in rural areas, proposed that the controversial occupancy clause remain at two years, but the house owners should then be free to dispose of the property as they wish. He said the burden should then be removed to allow the house to be sold for any purpose, including a holiday home.

The draft new Kerry County Development Plan stipulates that a residence can be sold after two years, but only as a permanent residence not as a holiday home.

Councillor Healy-Rae strongly objected to this stipulation, saying he would not support a clause that put an everlasting burden on people's property, which he believed to be illegal. His proposal to remove the stipulation was defeated by nine votes to seven.

County manager Martin Nolan said the plan did not permit holiday homes in rural areas. After two years of occupation by the owner, a house still needed to be occupied as a "primary place of residence" and could be sold for that use.

"Permanent dwellings contribute to the demand for essential services in rural areas and promote the continued provision of these services. This is essential for the long-term viability of these communities," Mr Nolan stated.

However, he said that in certain cases, particularly where there was a long-term population loss, one-off houses could strengthen rural communities. In such areas, the demand should be met as it arose.

But, Mr Nolan also stressed there were areas in Kerry that were not experiencing rural depopulation and were already reaching capacity for new development.