‘Utter codswallop’: Kerry councillors deny claim their decisions will result in 1,400 lost houses

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

Kerry councillors have been accused of preventing the development of a massive number of houses amid a growing housing shortage in the county.

During a Killarney Municipal District (MD) meeting, Kerry County Council (KCC) warned that councillor decisions would result in the loss of over 1,400 housing units, prompting fierce objections from elected members.

Councillors had previously re-zoned ‘R1’ land, set aside for immediate residential housing development, to other categories, a decision that was met with strong resistance from KCC and the housing regulator.

While KCC accused elected members of presiding over the “loss” of housing, Councillor Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan slammed the charge as “scare mongering”.

“This idea that we’re removing houses is absolute codswallop,” he said.

He pointed to the large plot of farmland north of the Cleeney Roundabout which was under consideration, and which councillors had re-zoned from ‘R1’ to ‘R4’ – strategic reserve land for residential development.

“There is a big difference between removing and strategic reserve, and this changing of words and twisting of arms to pretend that we’re taking it out is absolute and utter codswallop,” he said.

“I haven’t removed any house from future planning in this town and not one of these councillors has either.”

Councillor Brendan Cronin also raised strong objections to KCC’s argument that this particular decision would “result in a loss of approximately 1,175 residential units”.

He said the land in question was an active dairy farm and the owners intended to continue their business for at least the next five years.

“To me it makes absolutely no sense to zone land residential as an elected member, you know it’s not going to be developed,” said Cllr Cronin.

“All that is really is a box ticking exercise to satisfy numbers and mathematical calculations and give the impression that we have land available for development.”

A plot in Kilcummin had also been re-designated from ‘R1’ to ‘R4’ by elected members, and KCC claimed this meant the loss of around 133 homes and would impact “negatively on the ability of the settlement to achieve its housing target”.

“There is no loss,” objected Cllr Cronin again.

“It’s also important to say that we did ask for the sewer to be brought up to these lands and the powers that be rejected it.”

“The obvious thing to do if you want to develop a village is to bring the sewer to the particular areas that would matter, and Irish Water did not do that.”

Killarney MD councillors unanimously upheld all decisions to redesignate ‘R1’ land, with Maura Healy-Rae highlighting that most of the work that had already been completed included new allocations for the ‘R1’ category.

“They’re not listening to the people on the ground,” Cllr Callaghan.

Councillor Marie Moloney also pointed out the planning regulator’s wish to build in Kilcummin but Irish Water’s refusal to bring a sewer to the town.

“Is there no joined up thinking in this country, they need to get their act together,” she said.

“What good is the planning regulator sitting at a computer above looking at a map up there on the screen, and thinking it looks all rosy, ‘hey look at the beautiful village that goes this way’…do they ever come down a visit a place?”