.
Gleesk Viaduct on the South Kerry Greenway
KERRY County Council has today lodged the planning application for the South Kerry Greenway with An Bord Pleanála.
The planning application is being made for the development of a greenway amenity measuring almost 32km between Glenbeigh and Reenard on the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry.
Meanwhile, Tralee Municpal Council will meet next Monday to consider the Managers’ Report and Recommendation for the development of a 10.3km Greenway from the townland of Ballynahoulort in Tralee to Fenit Village.
The proposed South Kerry greenway runs parallel to the Ring of Kerry which is an iconic and internationally renowned tourist route popular with cyclists and with breath-taking scenery.
Continued below…
.
The planning application comprises an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) which assesses the anticipated environmental impact of the project.
A Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) notice for the acquisition of the privately-owned lands to allow the council to develop the greenway will be published on Thursday.
If confirmed by An Bord Pleanála, the CPO will allow Kerry County Council to acquire the land necessary for the project. The scheme impacts on 222 landholdings and 197 landowners and was the subject of extensive public consultation over the past decade.
The Council will continue to engage with landowners throughout the process and a dedicated information line will be made available.
The three-metre wide paved surface greenway will run from the townland of Reenard southwest of Caherciveen to the townland of Faha west of Glenbeigh.
The route will, in the main, be constructed on the corridor of the abandoned Great Southern railway line with off-line sections being constructed on adjacent lands and local roads.
It will include the provision of car parks, and the upgrading of existing bridges and tunnels such as the Cahersiveen Railway Bridge, Gleesk Viaduct and tunnels at Drung Hill.
Copies of the EIAR, CPO notice and other documentation will be available from this Friday, 31 August, at council offices in Killorglin, Cahersiveen and Tralee and on the Kerry County Council website. Submissions on the order must be lodged with An Bord Pleanála by 19 October next.
An Bord Pleanála may decide to hold an oral hearing having regard to any submissions received.
