A submission on behalf of the Sisters of St Clare's convent in Kenmare, Co Kerry, to have their lands rezoned from institutional and community to mixed-use development in the new local area plan has met with a cool response from planners.
Part of the convent's four acres of ground, situated alongside the nuns' residence, is zoned for car parking under the draft plan. The nuns want this zoned to residential.
However, planners said the site designated for parking is near schools and the town centre and the proposed zoning is the correct one. They have also turned down the request for mixed-use development in the rest of the convent land and propose instead low density housing.
The plan, which is due to come before the council shortly, represents an effort by planners to control spiralling development in Kenmare by laying down precise designations.
However, it is provoking controversy and many of the submissions complain that land zoned for development in the previous plan is now agricultural or amenity - making their property far less valuable.
Mr Michael Connor-Scarteen, a local councillor, said people living adjacent to the town are now faced with proposals to zone their lands as "amenity", thereby blocking the possibility of residential use.
Three years ago a controversial plan by councillors to almost treble the size of the town boundary resulted in a plebiscite and in rejection by townspeople.
Kenmare is Kerry's fastest growing town, due to the number of people buying second homes there.
Many of the submissions to the new plan raise concerns about over-development.