Ongoing saga over classification of area of Kilkenny set to continue

The saga surrounding the classification of Kilmanagh in the current Kilkenny City and County Development Plan looks set to roll on.

There were raucous scenes in County Hall on Monday when the matter was raised by elected officials, with many Kilmanagh residents watching on from the public gallery.

Kilmanagh is presently one of many rural settlements in Kilkenny defined as a ‘rural node’ as per the current County Development Plan.

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This has generated immense concerns in recent months amongst residents in Kilmanagh who have posited that, as a result of this, their planning status has been diminished.

On the agenda for discussion at County Hall on Monday was a proposed variation (Variation 2) to the County Development Plan that would remove the term ‘rural node’, and include villages previously designated under that definition as ‘small towns and villages without settlement boundaries’.

Having reviewed this proposed variation when it went to public consultation, a submission was written on behalf of a sizable number of Kilmanagh residents.

The submission stated that they did not agree that ‘the previous inappropriate designation of Kilmanagh as rural node is resolved by redesignating Kilmanagh to that of a small town/ village without a settlement boundary as is now proposed’.

In their submission, they called on Kilkenny County Council ‘to correct this previous oversight by creating a settlement boundary and defining Kilmanagh as a small town/village with a settlement boundary’.

At Monday's meeting, following two adjournments by elected officials to discuss the matter further, Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh proposed that Variation Two be passed by elected members.

This supported the removal of the term ‘rural node’ and classifying villages previously designated under that definition as ‘small towns and villages without settlement boundaries’.

Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh then also proposed a third variation to the County Development Plan that Kilmanagh specifically be defined ‘as a small town/village with a settlement boundary’ in the County Development Plan.

This third variation was seconded by Cllr Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere who encouraged ‘the ball to start rolling on variation three for Kilmanagh’, and it was passed by elected officials.

Director of Services at Kilkenny County Council, Tim Butler, made reference during the meeting that any amendment or new variation to the County Development Plan ‘will have to go back out on public display’ and be subsequently reviewed by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

He added that the variations are likely not to be accepted by the OPR.

Acting Director of Services Denis Malone had noted earlier in the meeting that if the local authority does commence to seek a variation for Kilmanagh only, that it may be asked by the OPR why Kilmanagh is being singled out.

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