Residents win battle for green space as council rejects development plan

A PROPOSED development of 11 residential units at Fairfield Close, Goat Street, has been refused planning permission by Kerry County Council Planning Department.

A planning application submitted by Michael O’Donoghue on behalf of Zinbar Grove Developments sought permission “to construct a corner terraced building forming a streetscape fronting onto the upper end of the new Dingle Relief Road/Goat Street. This corner terraced building will consist of nine terraced dwelling houses and two apartments.”

There were 22 submissions objecting to the proposed development, mainly on the grounds that it was to be built on what the residents of Fairfield close understood to be an amenity area.

Kerry County Council’s own Housing Estates Division also made a submission on the proposed development, stating that if it was granted planning permission the remaining green space in Fairfield Close would fall “well short of the communal open space requirements in the Kerry County Development Plan”.

“The houses/apartments already built in the

Fairfield will not have the required minimum open space under which they were granted planning and subsequently built,” the Housing Estates Division’s submission added.

The council subsequently decided to refuse the application on the grounds that: “The proposed development would be located on the permitted public amenity space serving the existing housing development to the south-east of the application site. Therefore the proposed development would seriously injure the amenities and depreciate the value of existing residential property in the vicinity. Furthermore the proposed development, specifically condition 1 of An Bord Pleanála Ref Pl08 120324, for the existing housing development to the south-east would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and a sustainable development of the area.”

Kerry County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for the proposed development can be appealed to An Bord Pleanála up to the deadline of Thursday, July 23. However, up to this Tuesday the Bord Pleanála website had published no details of any appeals being lodged.