PROPOSAL: The ‘Glebe Craft Quarter’ proposal, or similar proposals aimed at making better use of this space, should be included in the Opportunity Sites section. Thus, the following column should be added:
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High Street, New Market Ln, Bohereencael Glebe, Old Market Ln square |
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¼ acre |
Replace the car park with a covered outdoor seating area available to customers of nearby restaurants, cafes, and general visitors, or as suggested elsewhere in the plan, a ‘craft quarter.’ |
M1, M2, G1 |
RATIONALE: This area in the town centre is completed wasted at present, only ever holding a few cars in a run-down car park. The removal of the car park would have negligible negative consequences to the few that park there, and the addition of an open-space, covered seating area would be attractive for visitors, encourage eating in Killarney, and act as a social meeting space. This regeneration project should be a key priority for Killarney and is likely of greater importance that the ‘Green Lane/Pond Lane’ site, and the ‘Ballcasheen Road Junction’ site. Not including this as an opportunity site suggests that there is no serious intent to regenerate this area. Regardless of whether a craft quarter or otherwise deemed most appropriate for the site, its regeneration is a must.
PROPOSAL The old Sara Lee site should be explicitly included in the opportunity site table, and plans (potential or actual) for the site should be explicitly stated in the development plan. Such plans could include the building of social housing (as was talked of last year), development of a remote working hub, or provisioning to MTU, for example.
RATIONALE: While the plan states that the Sara Lee site is an opportunity site, it is not listed in the table and there is very little detail on the plans for this site. As stated in an article in The Independent (High hopes for old Sara Lee site - Independent.ie) from 2005 – over 15 years ago – the then president of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce called on Killarney Town Council to make maximum use of the site of the former Sara Lee and Pretty Polly factories. Since then, nothing has happened to this very large site on the edge of the town. It has lain idle for over fifteen years. Unless this site is given a significant place in the development, it is difficult not to be pessimistic that the next six years will be a continuation of the previous fifteen. While the plans to build social housing on part of the site earlier in 2021 were welcome, such plans should be included in the development plan. In addition, more ambitious should be sought to fully utilize this space, and not to only regenerate part of the site.