A chara, - The rezoning situation in Killarney, described in your Editorial of February 1st, is being replicated throughout Kerry.
In Dingle, the local development plan sets out to create a compact and accessible town in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, and zones over 170 acre of land for housing. This, according to the Kerry County Council planners, means that Dingle will be over-zoned for housing.
And how do the councillors respond to this zoning splurge? By voting to rezone even more land, and redrawing the town boundaries to include fields far outside Dingle town.
Fáilte Ireland and the spatial planning section of the Department of the Environment both objected to this sprawl. So did Kerry's county manager and planners, as well as local groups like ourselves.
Perhaps the most grotesque aspect of the situation is that if developments on such rezoned land are refused planning permission, the council could be liable to compensation claims from the applicants.
Bad planning affects us all. Therefore councillors who rezone land contrary to professional planning advice should foot the bill for any compensation claims that arise. - Is mise,
SEÁN BROSNAN, Dingle Sustainable Development Group, Dingle, Co Kerry.