Feasability study to be undertaken on Kenmare land
FUNDING of €19,000 has been allocated to undertake a feasibility study to come up with plans for the Peninsula lands in Kenmare.
The 13.9 acre site came into the hands of Kerry County Council in 2018 after they negotiated with a vulture fund to reclaim part of the land for the people of Kenmare.
The land, which is close to Kenmare Pier, is to be used for amenities purposes for the people of Kenmare.
At the height of the boom the entire 50 acres sold for €20m and there were plans to build what was locally termed a second town beside Kenmare. However, the project failed to get planning permission and the value of the land subsequently collapsed in the crash.
A section of the 50 acre site is now in the ownership of the council and plans are now progressing on the site which the announcement that funding has been granted for the first step in the development of the site.
The funding of €19,000 was granted through Leader Funding and was a joint application between the local peninsula group, Kerry County Council and Kenmare Marketing and Events Group (KMEG).
The site is very sensitive from an ecological, environmental and archaeological point of view and this must be taken into account when drawing up plans for the site. This is why a feasibility study must be undertaken to ensure that any plans for the site be sensitive and of benefit to the town.
“This is a sensitive location so we must go about it properly It will be a legacy for the town of Kenmare for hundreds of years so we can’t make a mess of it, “said chairperson of the peninsula group, Mickey Ned O’Sullivan.
Experts will be drafted into help make the decision on what is best for the site but ultimately the land is for recreational benefits for the local community and for tourism in the town.
The public will also have their views considered via the feasibility study which is hoped will start in September.
It is to be completed in December and the next stage of the project will then kick off.
When a final decision is made on the site further funding will be sought to develop it.
Mr O’Sullivan said that the community is indebted to the council for acquiring the lands for the people of Kenmare and that in time it is hoped that this wonderful amenity will be of benefit to all.
Kerry County Council will be involved in the project and they said that they hope to progress the project.
The contract for the work has been awarded and will progress subject to any restrictions arising due to the current public health crisis, they said this week in a statement.