Council raises rezoning fears

WITH a general election looming, a warning has been given of a rush to rezone land for housing in Kerry.

Dingle has already seen a large number of rezonings, mainly for holiday home developments, but the latest motion was for a 25-acre site in Listowel.

Against the advice of senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy and other officials, Kerry County Council agreed to rezone land belonging to the Hilliard family at Cahirdown, Listowel, from rural/general use to residential use.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Ned O’Sullivan, proposing, said the land was surrounded by land zoned for residential purposes.

“This land is within 400 yards of a boys’ national school and is also close to two other schools. It is land destined for housing,” he added.

Mr Tom Sheehy, however, said he would not agree with haphazard rezoning of land in the absence of a proper analysis of the area.

Sinn Féin Cllr Toireasa Ferris expressed concern so many zoning motions are coming before council for locations without an area development plan.

Independent Cllr Michael Healy-Rae called for the freeing up of land in towns and villages for housing, if the council did not want people to live in the countryside. He said the only way to bring down house prices was to rezone more land for housing.

Twenty councillors voted for the Listowel rezoning, with nobody voting against. Cllr Ferris and Fine Gael Cllr Bobby O’Connell abstained. Deputy county manager Tom Curran said the rezoning decision rested with the manager and he could not guarantee the members’ recommendation would be implemented.