Progress on Sneem estate after 12 years

AFTER 12 years work is finally going to take place on one of the county’s most prominent ghost housing estate from the boom era, on the Ring of Kerry road just outside Sneem village.

Ard an Óir estate on the Kenmare Road began in 2006, but this was closed up in 2008 after Bandon-based developer Coolfadda went into liquidation. The estate ended up in the hands of the Nama and was subsequently sold to a vulture fund.

It is now owned by Dolent Properties who have applied for planning permission to undertake work at the estate. The property company Dolent Properties are applying for planning to finish off six houses that were not completed in the original planning for the site.

According to the planning notice permission is being sought to finish off houses numbers 26, 27, and 28 and 35,36 and 37.

Permission is also being sought to construct three two-bedroomed terrace houses on the site facing onto the Ring of Kerry road. Landscaping works and changes to parking at the site are also indicated on the planning notice.

Local residents have long been campaigning for works to be carried out on the ghost estate which has blighted the entrance to the village for 12 years. The estate has been lying empty for all of those years.

A deputation of Sneem residents had addressed Kerry County Council in 2017 calling for action on an unfinished housing estate they describe as a blight on their village. At the time, they were told a bond of over €163,000 was called in back in 2013 but had not been reached a conclusion.

Dr Mary Moloney, among those speaking at the deputation, called for urgent action for the bond to be called in and works finished.

At the time the council said that it was understood the estate would be put on the market again and that the best outcome for the development would see works completed on the site to finish off the houses.

Minor works have been taking place on site in recent months and the planning application will hopefully see further progress on the site and in time, if planning is granted more houses in the village, and the end of a derelict eye-sore.