Politician does about-face on planning

A KILKENNY county councillor who had his county manager intervene to block construction of a house close to the councillor’s farm has now applied for permission to build a house on the same stretch of road.

Kilkenny councillor Dixie Doyle claimed two years ago there were already too many entrances along the narrow road on which he lives. He asked Kilkenny Co Council to refuse Judith Ashton permission to build her house on the road.

The Independent Fianna Fáil man started a petition against the Ashton house. It was signed by 49 people and lodged with the planning authority. He also asked former city and county manager Paddy Donnelly to try to persuade Ms Ashton to sell the site to him instead for £47,500 (60,325).

Judith Ashton later appeared on a Prime Time programme on RTÉ and received an apology from Mr Donnelly for his role in the matter. A Department of the Environment investigation into Mr Donnelly’s intervention found he had acted outside his job remit in his dealings with Ms Ashton.

There was further embarrassment for the local authority when Ms Ashton was offered an alternative site in Inistioge. It transpired she had not even applied for the much-sought-after, Council-owned site in the scenic village.

Ms Ashton eventually built her house as planned.

In his objection to Ms Ashton’s development, Cllr Doyle wrote: “Another house on the road would contribute to ribbon development.”

He added the back road between Thomastown and Inistioge was too narrow to take any more traffic.

But within the past weeks, Cllr Doyle applied for planning permission for a new home on the same “narrow” road.

“I’m looking for permission for a house for my son on the other side of my house but on the same stretch of road. I don’t know when he’ll build or what type of house he’ll build. It wouldn’t be happening immediately. I’m looking for outline permission,” Cllr Doyle added.

Asked whether it was strange that he should apply for permission on a stretch he already said was too narrow, Cllr Doyle added: “It’d be too bad if I couldn’t apply for planning permission for one of my own family, wouldn’t it?”

Judith Ashton is now selling the dormer home she built, despite the wrangles and the local opposition. While she is irked that she was a victim of an orchestrated campaign to stop construction of her home, she will not object to Cllr Doyle’s proposed development.

“I love the house I moved into with my two sons, but it’s time to move on. The new site will give me lots more room. I fought hard to build my present home and I’m glad I succeeded after all that happened,” said Ms Ashton.