13% rise in council planning applications

Donal Hickey

Kerry County Council received almost 4,600 applications, a 13% increase on the previous year and a huge source of controversy, especially in regard to one-off houses.

Mr Riordan yesterday told the council’s budget meeting there were major challenges facing the planning department this year. The core aim would be to facilitate development, while also protecting the valuable environment and landscape.

In a move designed to resolve some of its serious planning problems, the council has set aside E330,000 for pre-planning consultations.

Extra staff are being allocated to deal with planning applicants on-site and Mr Riordan said improved consultation at the early stages should help, as issues could be dealt with prior to the submission of an application. About 50% of applications are decided within eight weeks, but this figure would be higher if applicants did not seek an extension of the decision-making date, the meeting was told. The council has a total budget of E108 million for 2005, a 7% increase on last year.

Areas such as housing, roads, sanitary services and the environment account for 80% of spending. A sum of 2.2m has been allocated for planning control, amid indications of a high level of unauthorised development, with 500 cases being

investigated last year, about the same as the previous year.

Mr Riordan said officials would be proactive in cracking down on such developments and would maintain last year’s level of activity to ensure compliance with the Planning Acts.

Waste management is another critical area and private operators are strongly competing with the council, which had a significant loss of customers in 2003.

Some councils have gone out of waste collection and Mr Riordan said a sustained effort would be required if the Kerry council, which has been trying to win back customers, was to remain in the collection business.

“This year will be a make, or break, year for waste collection,” he said.

The average household will pay between 340 and 395 for collection this year and a new door-to-door system for collecting recylables is due to start shortly.