Kerry council fails to agree deal with landowners on tourist trail

A scenic new greenway in the Southwest — projected to be “far superior” to the Great Western Greenway in Mayo — is due to be completed by the end of 2016.

Kerry County Council has decided to proceed with the compulsory acquisition (CPO) of land for the €3.8m development on a disused rail line between Glenbeigh and Caherciveen. A total of 120 landowners have a legal interest in the route and there is strong community support for the project.

About 10 landowners were not willing to sell property to the council.

Despite a number of meetings, the council had no alternative but to secure the land through a compulsory order, a meeting of the South and West Kerry Municipal Authority was told in Killorglin.

Compensation for land- owners will be agreed on an individual basis.

The 27km greenway for cyclists and walkers will cross scenic terrain while some sections will run parallel to the Ring of Kerry route. It will also skirt hillsides, commanding spectacular views of Dingle Bay and the Iveragh Peninsula.

CPO documentation and environmental impact statements are due to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála by June, to be followed by public consultation and an oral planning hearing in the autumn. An ABP decision is expected in December.

Senior executive engineer Tom Sheehy said work on the greenway should start in January 2016 and take about 12 months to complete.

“This is a fantastic scheme and the best thing to happen in southwest Kerry for a long, long, time,” he said.

“It will be far superior to the western greenway and will give a massive economic boost to an area that badly needs it.”

Cllr Michael Cahill, however, voiced disappointment a deal could not be reached with all the landowners and said there was a “strong desire” among some for a small, annual, payment in return for maintaining the greenway.

“There’s a huge amount of requests for this: It would generate phenomenal goodwill and help get people on side,” he added.

Mr Sheehy replied there was no provision in the CPO process for an annual payment.

The route contains a number of engineering features including a viaduct near Kells, three tunnels, and a steel railway bridge. All had been examined and were found to be in good structural condition, said Mr Sheehy.

When the 5m-wide greenway is completed as far as Caherciveen, the next stage of the project will be to extend it to Renard, the departure point for a car ferry to Valentia Island.