The granting of retention permission for a campsite at Inch Beach has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Mark, George, and Zara Hussain had applied for retention permission for both an existing short-term stay camping site and renovation works to existing toilets and site.
The decision by Kerry County Council to grant retention permission has been appealed, with one appellant alleging that the application was invalid and should never have been accepted.
The three applicants applied for permission to retain the existing campsite and renovation works to the existing toilets.
They also applied for permission to extend the campsite, and to construct an access road and eight glamping pods.
The council refused permission to extend the campsite, but granted the retention permission, as well as permission to construct a campsite reception building, and wastewater treatment tanks.
In appealing this decision, Patrick Henderson alleged that Kerry County Council should not have accepted the application in the first place.
He says this is because retention permission cannot be granted if a Natura Impact Statement would have been required to originally develop on the site, citing the Planning Development Act.
He also cites the Act to say the council cannot accept applications for retentions of unauthorised developments, as there has been an enforcement notice on the site since 2021, after a warning notice was served in 2019.
Mr Henderson also alleges that the term “existing camp site” is unsubstantiated at best, as historical photos provided by the applicants’ architects didn’t prove that there was continuous use of it as a camp site.
He says there are no adequate local public amenities, parking, public toilets, or general amenity space to support a dramatic increase in tourist density at Inch Beach.
An Bord Pleanála is scheduled to make a decision on the case by August 8th.
