Approval For 61 Housing Units In Lohercannon, But Cllrs Lament Loss Of Wall

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The old stone wall at Lohercannon which will have to come down to make way for a new housing development.

COUNCILLORS unanimously approved the construction of a 61 unit housing development at Lohercannon on the outskirts of town at the meeting of Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council on Tuesday morning.

However, while welcoming the much-needed local authority housing, some councillors lamented the fact that a stone wall, which has stood for many decades, will have to be demolished to make way for the estate.

The development, located in a greenfield site immediately west of Ashgrove estate, will consist of eight one-bedroom apartments, 37 three-bedroom houses, 12 four-bedroom houses and four five-bedroom houses.

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It was approved, but with five amendments to the original plan, including the removal of a 1.8m boundary wall intersecting the wayleave, while a 1.2m high wall proposed along the eastern boundary with Ashgrove will be replaced with a 2m high plaster wall.

Cllrs commended the residents of Lohercannon and Ashgrove, who had been very fair with the Council throughout the planning process. They said the residents recognised the need for social housing in the town, but had genuine concerns about aspects of the design for the future tenants and offered solutions.

The plan for the new estate .

One of the issues brought up by councillors was the fact that the high stone wall will have to be removed.

Cllr Norma Foley said the wall was hugely important to the residents of Lohercannon, an area she said was unique, in that it is rural in its essence, yet so close to urban areas.

She asked if the historical wall could be retained in some way. She said it was more than just a wall and was part of the identity of the people in the area and indeed Irish people in general.

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However, Council management said they looked at that possibility, but after assessing the situation there was no way to provide a footpath and cycle lane without losing the wall.

They hope to use the stone from the wall in the front elevation of the streetscape of the estate.  Cllr Ferris asked if they could run the footpath inside the wall, but was told that this was not possible.

In all, the Tralee MD councillors voted for 107 new local authority housing units in the town at the meeting, with other developments in Croogorts and Hawley Park.