Planning body turns down proposal for tourism and leisure park in west Kerry
Concerns about its negative impact on the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, as well as being 'visually intrusive' on a scenic landscape, have been blamed.
Plans for a new major tourism and leisure park with almost 1,000 self-catering tourist beds in west Kerry have been firmly rejected by An CoimisiĂșn PleanĂĄla.
Concerns about its negative impact on the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, as well as being âvisually intrusiveâ on a scenic landscape, have been blamed.
The commission rejected an appeal by RĂnn Rua Holiday Park Limited against the decision of Kerry County Council to refuse planning permission for its application to construct an integrated tourism and leisure park which included the redevelopment of a derelict hotel at Emlaghmore West, Ballinskelligs.
The plans for a 25.8-hectare site overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay provided for the partial demolition and extension of the former Waterville Beach Hotel to construct 22 self-catering apartments, a bar, dining room, rooftop restaurant and shop.
Other elements of the project included 144 mobile homes, 21 glamping pods, 25 holiday homes, six hobbit huts, 20 campervan stands and washroom and toilet facilities as well as a leisure complex with a swimming pool, surf shop and café.
Overall, the project provided for a maximum of 972 beds or 507 bedrooms with the hotel and park homes planned to operate from February to November with camping facilities and lodges open from May to September.
However, the plans were rejected by An CoimisiĂșn PleanĂĄla on five separate grounds including concerns about the facilityâs ability to treat effluent from the development as well as causing disruption to the public water supply in Ballinskelligs during periods of high demand.
Noting that the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve is considered to be of international importance, the commission said the site of the proposed tourism and leisure park, which is in the core of the dark-sky reserve, is currently devoid of artificial light.
It observed that the Kerry County Development Plan recognises the potential of the dark sky reserve as a significant tourism attraction with the importance of controlling light pollution in the area.
The commission said RĂnn Rua Holiday Park had not adequately addressed management of the substantial amount of light pollution which would be created by the proposed development.
It also concluded that the proposed development would contravene the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 in relation to objectives for caravan, glamping and camping developments and would set an undesirable precedent for further similar developments in an exposed visually sensitive coastal area, if permitted.
It said it had taken into account the overall scale of the plans on a site that was removed from existing settlements and established tourism assets.
Around 40 third-party submissions were made to Kerry County Council about the plans with many raising concerns about the negative impacts it would have on a scenic area with over 1,000 residents at peak times.
One objector claimed the proposal was âessentially an apartment block located on pristine Kerry coastline.âÂ
In its appeal, RĂnn Rua Holiday Park had claimed the project, while large in scale, was well designed with the landscape capable of accommodating such a development.
The developer also claimed that Kerry County Council had acknowledged that the development of a standalone hotel at the location would not be viable.
It argued there would be no adverse visual effects arising from renovation of the hotel.
The company said concerns that its wastewater treatment system created a pollution risk were unfounded, although it accepted upgrades were required to the local network for drinking water supplies.
It claimed lighting in the facility would be controlled and have a low impact.
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