Senate hopeful says Kerry’s planners are too strict

ANGER with “over-stringent” planning policies in Kerry is about to boil over, it was claimed yesterday.

Some councillors said they were hoping for a new approach from recently-appointed county manager Tom Curran, who met FF councillors on the issue prior to the council’s annual meeting, in Tralee two weeks ago.

Despite promises that favourable treatment would be given to people building one-off houses on family-owned land, people were still finding it extremely difficult to get planning permission, FF Cllr Michael Cahill warned.

“I’m bitterly disappointed. The guidelines issued by the former Minister for the Environment are not being applied in Kerry,” he claimed.

“I’m involved in up to 100 planning cases, some of which have been going on for years, and am annoyed at the way matters are being handled by officials.”

Latest information from the council shows wide variations in the rate of applications granted.

Killorglin electoral area has the highest rate of refusals, with more than a quarter of applications being turned down in the area between January and May.

In that period, the council made decisions on 2,000 planning applications, 79% of which were granted.

But there were significant differences within the county’s five electoral areas. For example, 88% of applications in the Killarney area were granted; 83% in Dingle and 79% in Listowel.

The Tralee area had an approval rate of 76%, while Killorglin had the lowest rate of approval, at 73%.

Mr Cahill, who is campaigning in the Senate election, said he was travelling through every county and found that Kerry had the most stringent planning policies.

He warned of a return to the days in Kerry when councillors regularly tabled Section 140 motions, directing the county manager to give planning permissions even when the manager strongly advised against.