Almost 80% of planning applications for one-off houses have been granted since the new Kerry County Development Plan was implemented.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin tabled a motion on the issue at the recent monthly meeting of Kerry County Council.
Cllr Brendan Cronin sought details of the number of applications granted or refused permission and the number of applications that were withdrawn in each Municipal District since the County Development Plan was implemented.
Kerry County Council says there were 372 planning decisions in terms of one-off houses between August 15th 2022 and the end of November last year.
278 applications for single dwellings were granted, which is 79%, while 21% or 76 applications were refused permission and 18 applications were withdrawn.
Of these, 53 or 85% were granted in the Killarney MD, while 9 (15%) were refused.
In the Kenmare MD 75 (75%) were granted permission, 25 (25%) were refused and a further nine were withdrawn.
There were 67 or 81% of such applications granted in the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne MD, while a further 16 (19%) were refused and three applications were withdrawn.
77% or 41 were granted in the Tralee MD with 12 (23%) refused and four withdrawn; while there were 42 granted (75%) in the Listowel MD, 14 (25%) refused and two withdrawn.
Cllr Cronin says he the refusal rate is high in some MDs and cited the designations and areas of urban pressures that were introduced in the County Development Plan as an issue.
He says he’s aware of a young couple who sourced a site 800 metres from their home; he says they aren’t farmers but were born and reared in the area and work there yet they were refused planning due to the that stipulation.
