THERE are four buildings in the Tralee Municipal District currently being considered for compulsory purchases orders by Kerry County Council.

The information was revealed at the meeting of the Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council on Monday after Sinn Féin Cllr. Cathal Foley asked how many derelict properties have been identified in the Tralee Municipal District that are suitable for CPO and at what stage are any proposed purchases at.

In reply, Council Management said the Vacant Homes Office, with the Derelict Sites Officer, are currently reviewing the vacancy data collection on properties around the county.

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A number of properties have been identified for consideration under the CPO Activation Programme.

Over the last few months the Council has been engaging with the relevant property owners, firstly to make them aware of the various schemes currently available to bring vacant properties back into use, namely the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Repair and Lease Scheme.

Fourteen properties are identified at present for consideration under the CPO Activation Programme and four of these are in the Tralee Municipal District.

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A LOCAL councillor has called on the Council to do something about people parking in housing estates close to the town centre.

In a motion before the Tralee Municipal District meeting on Monday, Sinn Féin Cllr Deirdre Ferris asked the local authority to ensure that traffic wardens are sent to inspect long-term, non-resident parked cars in housing estates in Tralee town Centre.

She said residents are left without spaces and entrances to these estates are blocked as a result. In many cases she said these cars are left in the estate for the entire working day.

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Cllr Ferris said there are cheap car parks and on-street parking for the public to use around the town.

In reply, Council management said the regulation of car parking spaces in residential areas is not included in the Tralee Parking Bye-Laws due to the genuine rights of both residents and visitors to park locally.

However, if there are particular areas of concern, the Council will consider erecting signage requesting members of the public to respect residential parking.

THE redevelopment of the area around John Joe Sheehy Road is among the projects to be pursued by Kerry County Council after a recent funding announcement from the Government.

Tralee Municipal District Manager Michael Scannell gave an update on the Urban Regeneration Development Fund announcement of over €16m for Tralee and the projects to benefit from the funding, at the online meeting of Tralee Municipal District councillors on Monday.

Mr Scannell outlined the funded projects as;

• Tralee Town Centre Pavements

• Market Quarter

• John Joe Sheehy Road Masterplan

• Railway Plaza

• Austin Stack Park Plaza

• Vacancy and Dereliction

• A Community Space at Island of Geese

• Island Of Geese Innovation District — Office Space

• Square Cover Feasibility

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He said there are a number of underutilised tracts of land from John Joe Sheehy Road to Austin Stack Park.

The masterplan includes the creation of plaza areas at Casement Station and at the piece of land opposite Austin Stack Park.

It is also envisaged that new cycle links will be created from the station down to St John’s Church, protected structures at the railway station near the Oakpark road would be revitalised and the area near the Greenway at the Oakpark Road near the station would be enhanced.

There would also be a mix of hotel, office and residential developments on the southside of John Joe Sheehy Road.

He said the project would provide an attractive entrance point to people coming into the town and show the town in a positive light. Any plans for the area will have to go to public consultation.

THE Council has applied for Government funding to develop a masterplan for the John Joe Sheehy Road area, which will include a ‘landmark’ entry point to the town centre which would celebrate the town’s sporting history.

Cllr Mikey Sheehy had a motion before the Council that they engage with the Kerry GAA regarding possibly adding murals of distinct Kerry GAA memories to the entrance walls of Austin Stack Park.

He said would provide a great entrance to both football fans and tourists alike entering Tralee through a main thoroughfare and let them know that they are in, what Tralee people consider, as the home of football.

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Cllr Sheehy said Tralee is very proud of its GAA heritage and this was shown in the past by the mural of Sean Walsh’s famous catch on the side of a building at Rock Street/Pembroke Street and the stained glass features in the Brogue Inn, to name but two examples.

He said he has spoken to Chairman of Kerry GAA Tim Murphy and he is open to discussing it further.

In reply to Cllr Sheehy’s motion, Kerry County Council said it had recently applied through the Urban Regeneration Development Fund for funding to develop a masterplan for the John Joe Sheehy Road area.

The Council would propose to redesign the entire area including the road layout to create a ‘landmark’ entry point to the town centre, celebrating the town’s rich sporting history. If funding is secured, this proposal can be considered further when developing this masterplan.

On a related matter, Sinn Féin Councillor Deirdre Ferris said multiple attempts had been made to develop the site across from Austin Stack Park, where part of the original wall of the old athletics grounds, developed in the 19th century, still stands.

Cllr Ferris said the original gatehouse to that site is still there and a proposal had been submitted to put a structure there to mark its historical significance. She said the athletics grounds was also a location where the old IRA held training exercises over 100 years ago.

Cllr Ferris said it would be fitting that in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Siege of Tralee, that this part of the town’s sporting and political history would be recognised and celebrated.

AT an online meeting of Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council on Wednesday morning, Cllr Cathal Foley requested that areas of grassland with wildflowers in the town would be allowed bloom.

Following a discussion it was agreed that appropriate areas of grassland can remain unmowed in order to improve the biodiversity of the town and surrounding areas.

Cllr Foley stated; “I’m delighted the council have agreed to my suggestion to let areas of grassland remain wild and uncut. Many people have remarked how well areas with wildflowers are looking during the lock-down period, and have subsequently become more aware of the biodiversity surrounding them. Obviously many areas will still have to be attended to due to various environmental issues but hopefully this changing method will become the new norm in the years ahead.”

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COUNCILLORS have asked if there could be a campaign to let every householder know what not to put down their toilet as it’s causing difficulties in the local sewerage system.

The call came after a discussion leading from a motion by Cllr Mikey Sheehy, asking what is the long-term proposal to alleviate the ongoing issues with sewer pipes in Old Marian Park.

Council management said there are difficulties with two blockages in mid-terrace on the main sewer lines which are laid under the back gardens of the 75 year old housing estate.

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The Council has tried power jetting each sewer from both ends without total success and is now working on gaining access to the relevant locations to do the repairs.

It was revealed that there are items in the sewer that should not be there and are causing great difficulty in clearing.

Cllr Sam Locke asked if it was possible to let every house in the Tralee area know what they can and can’t flush down their toilet. Cllr Deirdre Ferris suggested a leaflet drop to each household.

Tralee MD Officer, Jean Foley, said a ‘Think Before You Flush’ public campaign was launched in Tralee two weeks ago by Clean Coasts/An Taisce in conjunction with Irish Water and Tralee Tidy Towns regarding the issue. Council management agreed to contact Irish Water about a more widespread public campaign.

A TRALEE Muncipal District Councillor has called for future general election counts to take place in the town.

While the local election counts for Tralee and north Kerry traditionally take place in town, the general election count for the Kerry constituency has taken place in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre in 2016 and 2020.

At the meeting of  Tralee Municipal District on Monday, Fianna Fáil Cllr Mikey Sheehy said that Tralee has a number of fantastic facilities to host such events and mentioned the new Kerry Sports Academy facility at IT Tralee.

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Sinn Féin Cllr Deirdre Ferris said parking was a huge issue at the recent election count, with people having to be bussed from Killarney town centre out to the bypass road, where the centre is located.

In reply, the Council said the location for opening and validation of elections and ballot boxes is primarily a matter for the County Registrar in his capacity as returning officer and the location is decided by a number of factors.

They said the facility is required for a period of days leading up to and after the event and not many private facilities are available for such an extended period at short notice.

TRALEE’S new Mayor, Cllr Jim Finucane, is to meet with Dunnes Stores management within weeks to make a proposal in relation to the vacant premises in Bridge Street.

Mayor Finucane told fellow councillors at the meeting of Tralee Municipal District on Friday, that he has initiated contact with Dunnes Stores and they are open to a meeting.

“I hope to have a meeting with them in the next week or two. The purpose of this meeting is to see if they would lease it to the Council, in conjunction with Kerry ETB and the college, to have some kind of digital hub in the town centre.”

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Speaking about other priorities for the year ahead, Mayor Finucane also said a game-changer for bringing industry to the town would also be a direct flight from Kerry to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.

He said the feedback he has been getting from companies in Tralee and beyond, was that a direct link to a major hub airport like Schipol would be “a game-changer”.

“It’s one of the issues for these companies, like Fexco and Dairymaster. They talk about access, not alone to here but for people who want to set up industry here and have access to world markets,” he said.

On the issue of industry and employment, he said he wants direct meetings with multinationals to show what Tralee has to offer and how they can do it differently to other places, rather than relying on the IDA.

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Mayor Finucane said another priority was the Tralee Fenit Greenway which he wants to see it come to fruition, especially with an announcement of funding for the project imminent.

He spoke about a well-thought out approach to the housing situation and building communities rather than just building ‘units’.

Among the other issues he mentioned in his address, was the issue of the Town Park in terms of staffing levels and the timing of appointments, to give the facility the respect it deserves.

A SINN Féin councillor has accused Kerry County Council as being “mean-spirited” for not contributing to putting members of a delegation from a Palestinian town up in a hotel when they visit Tralee soon.

The delegation from Beit Sahour, a town near the Shepherd’s Field of Bethlehem, will arrive later in the spring as part of a twinning arrangement with Tralee.

The trip is being organised by Sinn Féin Cllr Pa Daly, who put forward the motion to twin the town with Tralee last June. He asked management — at Monday’s meeting of Tralee Municipal District Council — could anything be done by the Council to contribute to the cost of accommodation when they arrive in town.

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However, the Council said that doing so would not be in line with any previous visits by twinning delegations.

Cllr Daly’s party colleague, Cllr Toireasa Ferris, said it was “mean-spirited” of the Council.

“We’re engaging in a twinning with a town in a nation that has been the victim of genocide and every industry they have has been wiped out. And Kerry County Council won’t event put them up for a night in a hotel?” said Cllr Ferris.

She said that the Council had no problem with spending thousands on a reception for the Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall last year. Cllr Ferris added that the Sinn Féin party in Kerry will cover the accommodation costs of the Beit Sahour delegation.

THERE won’t be any traffic lights in the near future at what the Mayor of Tralee described as “the most dangerous junction in Tralee at the moment”.

Mayor Terry O’Brien had a motion before the Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council meeting this morning that the Council would review the traffic situation at the Cross between the Lower Field and James’ Street and said traffic lights have to be an option as it has become a very busy junction.

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Council  Management’s reply was that Tralee Transportation Strategy highlighted 16 junctions in the town of Tralee that were deemed to require short or medium term interventions. To date, no funding has been provided for any of these junctions.

The “Low Field” junction was not highlighted as a junction requiring attention. This junction is busy only at peak hours and unlikely to warrant traffic lights.

The cost estimate would be in the region of €70,000 and if funding became available, there are other junctions included in the study which have been highlighted by the elected members in the past two years as more urgent.

Cllr O’Brien said the money would have to be found as it was the most dangerous junction in town at the moment.

“Something has to be done, whether it’s a roundabout…put a lollipop man there! It’s crazy,” he said.

Cllr O’Brien said it was also a favoured spot for people on driving lessons and motorists were also using Rae Street from Strand Street to come on to the Basin Road and the situation was dangerous especially at rush hour times.