PLANNING PROCESS HAS ‘ROBBED’ IVERAGH OF JOBS

KERRY TD Michael Healy Rae has slammed the planning process which he says has “robbed” a community in Kerry of employment following a decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning for a 45-bedroom hotel in Ballinskelligs.

In the Dáil last week, the Independent TD severely criticised the planning process and said that it has cost projects like Apple’s plan in Athenry and more recently a “well thought out” plan for Ballinskelligs.

“Apple was hunted out of Athenry because of objectors. In the name of God, what action is going to be taken to deal with the planning process? How are we going to root out these serial objectors, these do-gooders who are good for nothing? These people never did anything or created anything in their lives, only wrote a stupid piece of paper and gave €20 to a local authority or €200 to An Bord Pleanála,” he said.

Speaking about the planned hotel for Ballinskelligs he said all they family wanted to do was “develop a good quality hotel”.

“They got their planning permission and, lo and behold, there was an objection. That objection went to An Bord Pleanála. For the sake of €200 – a miserable, rotten price - the objectors were able to take this respectable family to An Bord Pleanála which, in its infinite wisdom, took away the planning permission that was thoughtfully granted by Kerry County Council. It has robbed the community of employment, a focal point and a place for people to go to.

The local community have organised a public meeting this Friday.

INVESTMENT in rural Kerry is being halted by the planning laws according to locals in Ballinskelligs who are hosting a public meeting this Friday to voice their anger at the planning process which has stopped a millon euro hotel project in the Iveragh gaeltacht.

A number of objections to the development of Cable O’Leary’s in Ballinskelligs came from people living outside the county but who have holiday homes in the area.

An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission over the scale and sustainability of the project.

“We need this hotel to keep children in our local school, keep children in the GAA club.

“It is the focus to get this area vibrant again,” Chairperson of Coiste Forbartha na Sceilge, Dessie Cronin, said this week.

“There is palpable anger in the community that planning has been refused. We want to get the message out there that we are not happy and that the planning process is halting development in an area that is suffering from rural depopulation”

“People who are not living in the area are objecting to local developments. Inward investment in rural Kerry will not happen if there are going to be objections”

The meeting takes place this Friday at 8.30pm in Ballinskelligs Community Hall.