LOCALS IN DARK OVER LANDBANK ‘BIDS’
LOCALS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER THE HANDLING OF NEW LANDBANK PROCESS
THE people of Tarbert and Ballylongford are demanding answers over the handling of a new process govering the industrially-zoned landbank which could ultimately see it sold.
The 620-acre landbank, roughly half of which is the focus of the longstanding Shannon LNG gas plant plans, is now the focus of a ‘ bidding’ process initiated by owners Shannon Commercial Properties.
The agency is formerly Shannon Development, but no longer has the same economic development remit for North Kerry as its precursor.
It recently sought expressions of interest on the future of the landbank with a potential view to the sale of the entire site, ultimately, The Kerryman understands.
At least three expressions were received by last month, now actively being considered by Shannon Properties.
But locals fear that any sale of the landbank could result in profits being subsumed by Shannon Airport - which is the primary focus of the new company. They also fear the process could threaten the existing plans to construct a gas plant on the site, which is the most developed plan for industry ever seen on the landbank.
However, Fianna Fáil TD and former Shannon Development chairperson John Brassil believes all fears will be swept away if one of the new ‘ bidders’ takes on the Shannon LNG project - still very much a part of the package.
Shannon Properties had not responded to a Kerryman query on the issue by time of press.
“We are completely in the dark as to what is going on and we need answers,” Tarbert Development Association spokesperson John Fox told The Kerryman.
“We’ve had 60 years of promises on the landbank that never came to fruition and now the land appears to be for sale. We don’t know who is looking to buy the land, who it is being sold to, we don’t even know the purpose the land would be set to under a future sale. And we don’t know any of the conditions attached; if there will be anything for services in North Kerry...but it appears to us they just want to get shut of the land and reinvest the money in Shannon Airport,” Mr Fox said.
Deputy Brassil said he understands that three expressions are now being considered by Shannon Properties, with a decision to be made likely by the end of next month. He said the LNG matter is now at a make-or-break stage: “If the gas project doesn’t materialise from this process it will never materialise.
“Shannon LNG requires a major player in the gas industry with the resources to provide for the establishment of the project finally. The scale of this project is such that any concerns about the profits from the land would not be nearly as significant as the project going ahead.
“My primary objective is to see the project going ahead and my concern now is that, once a contract is signed, that everything would proceed quickly and smootly.”