GST greenway to go for planning

PLANS to advance the Great Southern Trail from West Limerick into North Kerry are moving one major step closer to fruition as Kerry County Council prepares to apply for planning permission for the extension greenway into Listowel.

It was expected that the planning application for the creation of the 9km route from Kilmorna to Listowel would be submitted by the end of this week.

It’s set to deliver a massive tourism windfall for the region if the experience of the GST in West Limerick and other greenways routes across the country are replicated in Kerry. The addition of the 9km will likely make the GST even more attractive now for cyclists and walkers.

Listowel County Councillor Jimmy Moloney, who has been campaigning for the establishment of the greenway for years, welcomed the decision by Kerry County Council to apply for planning.

“This is most welcome news. The campaign to bring the Great Southern Greenway to Listowel and beyond has taken many years but finally we have reached a position where funding can be applied for,” Cllr Moloney said on Tuesday.

“The successes of the Great Western Greenway and the Waterford Greenway, which has attracted 250,000 visitors in its first year, demonstrate the potential economic benefits such facilities bring to an area while also providing local residents with another safe, recreational amenity.” Landowners once opposed to the development by their land have since come on board. If planning is secured, hopes are high funding would be available: “The government has committed over €50 million in funding for greenway development and we intend to submit a request to procure the necessary funds when the application opens in the latter half of 2018,” Cllr Moloney added.