Kerry land row heats up as Bord Pleanála rules on gate

A bitter row over a disputed right of way near the Lakes of Killarney is set to erupt again after An Bord Pleanála ruled that a gate erected to block public access to the lakeshore is not exempt from planning permission requirements.

The issue was referred to the planning appeals authority after Kerry County Council was asked by a local resident, Donal Coffey, to determine if an electronic gate erected in 2010 by a farmer, Cornelius Dennehy, constituted a development under planning legislation known as a Section 5 application.

The steel gate, which contains signs warning mem-bers of the public about trespassing on private property and the operation of CCTV cameras, is located on a private road south of the village of Fossa.