Green light for 249 homes in Killarney after appeal rejected
New Killarney development has the 'capacity to change the dynamic of housing' in the town. Picture: Don MacMonagle
Construction is to begin immediately on a large housing development in Killarney which the mayor says has the "capacity to change the dynamic of housing" in the town.
Kenmare-based KPH Construction has welcomed An Bord Pleanála's decision to reject an appeal by anglers against the development.
Managing director of KPH Brian Gallivan said work on the 249 dwellings — 143 houses and 106 apartments — would start immediately on the eight hectare site at Upper Park Road. The site is on the north eastern edge of Killarney in an area known as Cronin’s Wood.
The Laune Salmon and Trout Anglers’ Association had raised issues about the capacity of the town’s waste water treatment plant and storm water system to deal with extra houses, saying until these were addressed large developments were premature.
Uisce Éireann has given assurances there is capacity in the Killarney Waste Water Treatment Plant for this and other housing developments in Killarney, the inspector noted. A comprehensive surface water system to deal with runoff is part of the proposal.
The proposal had also attracted a number of objections at council level because of density and traffic concerns.
The site is adjacent to a ring fort and is also partially developed. This is the latest in several applications by separate companies for the Park/Cronin’s Wood area over the years, none of which had so far come to fruition.
Previously, an application for 94 houses by a Cork company in 2017
was halted by the council because of a breach of archeological conditions.
Strict archaeological conditions have been attached to the current permission including monitoring of all site investigation and excavation, as well as of mounds of material already excavated.
The housing is in a mix of 117 three-bedroom houses, 18 two-bedroom, six four-bedroom houses, and two five bed-houses. There are to be 68 two-bedroom apartments and 38 one-bedroom apartments.
All the dwellings will be contained in two-storey buildings with a mix of terraced and semi-detached.
A potential commute route has been identified for the lesser horseshoe bat — a protected species — which has prevented two housing developments in Killarney recently. Protection from car headlight glare and public lighting modifications are to be in place to ensure the protection of the bats as part of the planning go-ahead.
Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher welcomed the board's decision and the statement by KPH it would begin immediately.
"This has the ability to change the dynamic of housing in Killarney," he said.
