Percolation cited in planning refusals

MANY people wishing to build one-off houses in Kerry are being refused planning permission on grounds of poor percolation for septic tanks on their sites, it was claimed at the weekend.

Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan said there was unrest because of a hard-line stance being taken by Kerry County Council on percolation testing since January.

People were being refused planning because of inadequate drainage for waste water from septic tanks.

“This is very worrying for many young families hoping to settle on family land. It’s of particular concern in areas with heavy soil such as Ballylongford and Moyvane,” he said.

However, Paul Stack, senior planning engineer with the council, said it was necessary to reduce pollution of rivers, lakes and groundwater. He said effluent contamination was a serious matter and, with regulations from the EU and the EPA coming into force this year, it was being monitored more closely.

Planning for one-off houses continues to be a contentious issue in rural areas, with councillors in Kerry protesting about what they claim is a high refusal rate. Cllr Johnny O’Connor claimed there was a refusal rate of 50% to 60% for one-off houses in the Killorglin/Ring of Kerry area.

Meanwhile, planning applications in Kerry dropped by 30% in the last quarter of 2007 and the slowdown is continuing.

This will have financial implications for the council as income from planning fees could be down by more than €700,000 this year, as a result.