The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
D-DAY FOR GREENWAY
A NUMBER of objections concerning the council’s move to compulsory purchase order (CPO) lands for the proposed South Kerry Greenway have been withdrawn. That’s according to An Bord Pleanála Inspector, Karla McBride, who yesterday (Tuesday) opened the long-awaited oral hearing into the county’s largest tourism project.
Outlining their plans, Kerry County Council representatives said that the project was “vital” to help regenerate the entire region which has suffered from massive rural depopulation.
The hearing also heard that farmers affected by the project will earn more from the council’s payment to them than from agriculture. Each farmer will be paid an annual payment of €300 and €2 per metre for any land required. In total, 222 landholdings are affected and 197 landowners.
Senior Engineer with Kerry County Council Conor Culloo said that in order to progress the project it is necessary for the local authority to acquire 48.14 hectares of land. Currently, KCC owns 11.7 hectares.
The oral hearing, which is taking place in Manor West Hotel, Tralee, has been scheduled for seven days, and will hear from more than 50 witnesses over the coming days both against and in support of the project and the CPO. It will determine whether the project gets planing and permission to CPO the land.
The protection of the Kerry slug was also raised with a new habitat to be created for the species.
FIFTEEN landowners appealed to Kerry County Council to alter the proposed South Kerry Greenway route – nine of which were agreed to – the oral hearing into the key tourism project was told on Tuesday.
The remaining six requests did not fit the criteria according to senior engineer, Conor Culloo who said that these changes showed the willingness of the local authority to engage with landowners along the 32km route.
In total there are 30 locations on the route which will deviate from the original railway corridor – twenty of which were due to obstructions on the line. Eight per cent of the route is on road with 56.1 per cent on the railway line, according to the local authority’s outline of the project.
The oral hearing also heard that some objections to the CPO have now been withdrawn.
The oral hearing into the proposed 32km walking and cycling trail opened at Manor West Hotel in Tralee on Tuesday, with over 100 people in attendance – many of them due to make observations on the project over the coming days.
The An Bord Pleanála hearing, chaired by planning inspector, Karla McBride, will sit for the entire week and hear evidence from Kerry County Council this week along with submissions in favour and against the project.
On Tuesday, Kerry County Council, outlined what the project involves and why this project is being undertaken stating that the economic and population decline of South Kerry is one of the key reasons for this project.
In their evidence the local authority said that primary schools in the area have experienced a 20 per cent decline since 2010 and post primary schools a 37 per cent decline since 1999.
The population of the area has also declined, which is in sharp contrast to the neighbouring town of Killorglin and of Kenmare.
The South Kerry Greenway is seen as providing a catalyst for the ‘economic regeneration’ of the area. According to Mr Culloo it is expected that more than 250,000 visitors will use the greenway annually. This equates to 1,424 people daily in August, the peak tourism month.
The aim of the oral hearing is to approve the project, approve the project with modifications or to not approve the project, Ms McBride, told the hearing.
The oral hearing will also lead to a decision to confirm or deny the CPO, she said.
Mr Culloo, who is the project manager for the South Kerry Greenway, said the scheme has received overwhelming support with 103 submissions, including one of which had 1,223 signatures.
Opening the oral hearing, Ms McBride, said that 122 observations were made on the South Kerry Greenway and 13 more following a second public consultation on further information on the project. There was also 68 observations on the CPO process.
The oral hearing heard that a number of objections to the CPO have now been withdrawn The CPO is the second part of the oral hearing and is expected to be the focus of next week’s sitting starting on Tuesday, October 15.
Mr Culloo, outlined that the lands subjected to the CPO are ‘necessary, sufficient and suitable’ for the proposed development.
Kerry County Council need to acquire the majority of the lands for the project.
Currently the local authority owns 11.7 hectares of the 48.14 hectares permanently required to develop the project.
Over the coming days evidence will be provided by Kerry County Council and bodies working with the local authority on the proposed project including planning policy, residential impact assessment, the environmental impact assessment report, traffic and transportation, archaeology and the natural impact assessment.
Evidence on the ecology of the project was provided at Tuesday’s hearing which was told that the Kerry slug is among the species affected and that a new habitat will be created for the slug .
Environmentalist Peter Sweetman and legal representatives, raised concerns about documentation not being provided. Mr Sweetman told the hearing that a deliberate attempt was made to obstruct the public because not all documentation was provided in advance of the hearing.
He cited the invasive species document and the cost benefit analysis along with other economic analyses, as such documents.
Senior Counsel, Edmond Keane, representing Kerry County Council at the hearing, refuted any such claim and said that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) and the Natura statement did not have to include every single bit of information as that would make it incomprehensible. He also added that further up-to-date information is now available for the hearing, including the invasive species report, which was only prepared in the past month.
Details of the works involved in the proposed South Kerry Greenway were also outlined at the oral hearing including the development of five car parks - at Reenard trail head, Cahersiveen Marina, Kells and Glenbeigh. New structures along the route will include an underpass at the N70 at Gortnagree and a new bridge at Killkeehagh. Coastal protection works will also take place.
This week the oral hearing will hear from supporters and objectors to the project.
Witnesses are due to include including Cllr Normal Moriarty and Cllr Michael Cahill as well as from South Kerry Development Partnership (SKDP), Muiris Walsh of Iveragh Historical tours, environmentalist Peter Sweetman, Galway Cycling Solutions and Galway Cycling Campaign as well as a number of individuals including James and Patricia Walsh, Mary O’Neill and Christy McDonnell, Karen McDonnell, and the Greenway Information Group ,who are all represented by a legal team which includes Michael O’Donnell BL and Stephen Hughes BL