Soccer club faces loss of pitch built on sand dunes

A Kerry soccer club is facing the loss of its playing ground after building a pitch on a sand dune without planning permission.

Ballyheigue Athletic may have to seek an alternative home as Kerry County Council is expected to require the club to return the pitch to its former status as part of the sand dune system of the north Kerry village.

It follows the club’s unsuccessful appeal to Bord Pleanála against the decision of Kerry County Council to refuse it permission to retain its soccer pitch at Buncurrig as well as permission for a container to be used as changing rooms.

The pitch was constructed between a caravan park and sand dunes on the south side of the village. Part of the dunes were removed, flattened and seeded to facilitate a soccer pitch.

The council said allowing the retention of the pitch would be in contravention of the County Development Plan which prohibits the removal of beach material from sand dune ecosystems.

The local authority also claimed the access road to the soccer pitch is substandard, inadequate and represents a traffic hazard. A report by Kerry Co Council says the development of the pitch had a “significant and negative” impact on the local dune system and recommends it should be reinstated as part of the dune system.

An Taisce also notified Bord Pleanála that development of the pitch began without planning permission and continued even after an enforcement notice was issued. It complained that works on the pitch undermined the coastal protection of the dunes and put inland areas at risk from coastal flooding as well as disturbing protected bird species.

In its appeal, Ballyheigue Athletic says the pitch was in use for some time and claims interference with the ecosystem is “minor”.

Bord Pleanála inspector Auriol Considine said that the pitch is “an incongruous element” in the Secondary Special Amenity area and has not been integrated into the sand dune system. She claims planned works to provide changing rooms, a car- park and bike stand would further damage the dunes.