Council refuse planning in time of housing crisis

| By Sean Moriarty

Local councillor Maura Healy-Rae has hit out against Kerry County Council after the local authority refused planning for 12 houses in Faha.

The Council said a housing estate of this scale was inappropriate in such a rural location and that it “contravenes the

Kerry County Development Plan". Woodlands Equestrian Club and Showgrounds hoped to build 12 houses on the site adjacent to their horse riding facility.

Cllr Healy-Rae and her father Danny Healy-Rae made representations on behalf of the builder to Kerry County Council’s planning department as they felt there is a need for new house builds in Kerry.

“This area has significant residential development already, a local pub, restaurant, GAA pitch and an equestrian centre, welding iron workshop and a shop which is to reopen shortly,” she told the Killarney Advertiser.

“In the County Development Plan that we operate under at the present time, it has now become crystal clear that only farmer's sons or daughters will be considered for planning now in any part of the county. Many young people are excluded from buying or building their own houses and the only place they can buy a house now is within Killarney town costing between €500,000 and €600,000. It was proposed that these houses in Faha would be sold for €240,000 approximately.”

Kerry County Council declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the Killarney Advertiser this week.