Landowners or their family members, living next to national routes such as the Ring of Kerry, will never get planning permission to build a home even if an existing entrance on to the route is available to them, a Kerry politician has claimed.
Cllr Michael Cahill said Transport Infrastructure Ireland, replying to a query he had raised, quoted from the spatial planning and national roads guidelines for planning authorities which stressed that for lands adjoining national roads, to which speed limits greater than 60kmh apply, the policy will be to avoid the creation of any additional access point from new development.
The generation of increased traffic from existing accesses to national roads to which speed limits greater than 60kmh apply should also be avoided and this provision applies to all categories of development, including individual houses in rural areas, regardless of the housing circumstances of the applicant.
“Unless you own land on the edge of a town or village, within a 60kph speed limit, you will never, ever receive planning permission for a home for you or your family members,” Cllr Cahill stressed.
He said the system is having a catastrophic effect, especially on farmers’ sons and daughters whose families own lands adjacent to national primary and secondary roads all around Kerry.
“This is a life sentence hanging over planning applicants and I am calling on the ministers involved to immediately withdraw these immensely outrageous and discriminatory guidelines,” Cllr Cahill remarked.
He has also requested an emergency meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and An Bórd Pleanála to discuss the matter.
“The people of Ireland are entitled to make a home for themselves and their families and these restrictions are both nonsensical and unconstitutional.
“You only have to look at the final sentence that states ‘regardless of the housing circumstances of the applicant’ to realise the lack of compassion by those who drew up these despicable guidelines,” Cllr Cahill fumed.
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