A Kerry County Councillor has called for an urgent review of the planning process for slurry tanks and slatted units due to “blanket” objections to such developments.
Fine Gael councillor Aoife Thornton raised the matter through a motion at a recent meeting of the local authority after being approached by several farmers in the north Kerry area.
However, following further investigation she found that the issue is cropping up elsewhere.
“Over the last number of weeks I have been contacted by a number of farmers in the Kerry area and by speaking with various agricultural advisors, farmers and farming organisations, I now know that this issue is not just in north Kerry or in Kerry, but it’s all over the country.
“Obviously, there are regulations around slurry storage and slatted units and rightly so.
“These farmers have applied for planning permission for slurry tanks and slatted units.
“They’re trying their best to comply with the regulations that are there and they’re trying to do their best in terms of farming in a sustainable way,” Thornton told Agriland.
Objections
The councillor, who is the current cathaoirleach (mayor) of the Listowel Municipal District, said that many of these types of planning applications are being objected to and appealed to An Bord Pleánala.
The objections are made on environmental grounds and relate to the EU Habitats Directive.
The councillor, who supports environmental legislation, said that farmers could be waiting up to 18 months for a decision from An Bord Pleánala on a planning appeal.
“This is putting immense pressure on farmers, farming families, and that’s why these people have contacted me.
“I do feel quite strongly because I have seen the objections and the appeals.
“A lot of them aren’t even relevant to the planning application. They don’t have the right detail. The figures that they’re using just seem to be a precedent figure used in other objections. They’re not even particular to the case.
“They’re really putting these farmers through the mill and, in many cases, they’re just spurious,” Thornton said.
The councillor added that farmers should be supported in preparing “a defence” to these “precedent” objections.
Planning review
Councillor Thornton has asked Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, and any other relevant minister, to examine the planning process in light of these objections.
“I don’t know what exactly their limitations are and what they can do here, but I am asking for help for these farmers,” she said.
The councillor suggested that a different fee could be applied to such appeals to ensure that a person has a “genuine reason to object” and “it can’t just be for frivolous reasons”.
“It’s not that I think that there should be any block on an objection. But I think where there’s a blanket objection, with detail not even relevant to the land in question, and we see these happening throughout the country, then I do have a problem with that.
“I’m asking the departments and the ministers to have a look at this and see what could be done to stop this type of blanket objection,” she said.