Ambitious plans for the redevelopment of the former Jeanie Johnston shipyard near the Blennerville Windmill, Tralee, have been rejected by An Bord Pleanála. It cited the threat of coastal flooding as one of the key reasons for refusing permission.
In June last year, outline permission was granted by Kerry County Council for a mixed-use development of 47 houses, 28 apartments and five two-storey office units along with extensive landscaping and siteworks.
The application by Scotia Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of Tralee Waterworld Ltd, c/o The Aquadome Tralee, also included the demolition of the large shipyard workshop building, which was specially constructed to build the replica Famine ship.
Originally, the idea had been to build the ship on site and sail it from Blennerville, the busy 19th-century emigration port of Tralee, to the US. Eventually, the ship would return and be installed as a visitor attraction at Blennerville. However, having built the Jeanie Johnston, it was found the bay area was silted and the ship had to be transferred by barge to nearby Fenit from where it successfully sailed to the US in 2003.
Because of financial and other constraints as well as the unsuitability of the Blennerville side of Tralee bay for the comings and goings of such a large ship, the plans for the shipyard as a visitor attraction had to be abandoned.
The former shipyard site as well as an adjoining property was purchased in 2003 by Scotia Properties and this was the second application by them, the first having been withdrawn. The council's decision was appealed by residents and others to An Bord Pleanála.
In its decision to refuse, the board gave three reasons including the threat of coastal flooding. It said the site was already prone to coastal flooding and plans to raise ground levels would impact on the local environment. It also said the provision of 10-metre buffer zone from the adjacent coastal conservation area was not enough.