The owner of the historic Derreen House and Gardens near Kenmare in Kerry has been refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála to build a new home on the 60-acre estate, a move that would have allowed him to pursue a plan to use the current house for short-term letting to tourists.
Premium ready meals business tycoon Charles Bigham, the owner and manager of the Derreen House and Gardens tourist attraction in Lauragh near Kenmare, had applied to Kerry County Council for the four-bedroom 385sq m house.
The dwelling was to be faced with stone and roofed by a combination of stone/slate and a “green” roof. The new house would have overlooked Kilmackillogue harbour and Kenmare river on part of the Derreen estate.
In July 2023, Kerry County Council refused permission saying the rural housing need had not been established as Mr Bigham already had a permanent house on the estate.
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Mr Bigham, a descendant of the Marquesses of Landsdowne who controlled much of Kenmare and south Kerry for centuries, appealed the council‘s refusal. His agent, McCutcheon Halley of Ballincollig in Cork, set out how the plan was for the existing house to be used for short-term letting to generate an income to help sustain the estate, which had been in Mr Bigham’s family for generations.
There was a “genuine housing need which is linked to the business operation of Derreen House and is required to support the ongoing maintenance and operation of the estate for him and his successors”, the agent stated.
The application sought to provide an alternative house for Mr Bigham on the estate to facilitate the year-round use of Derreen House for short-term rental accommodation for tourists.
An Bord Pleanála planning inspector Ann Bogan noted how Derreen House and Gardens, which is open all year round, was a key piece of infrastructure in the area and helped to attract visitors “to this remote part of Kerry”.
However, the applicant already had a primary permanent residence in the protected Derreen House and she was not satisfied there was adequate justification for the application.
“Based on the information provided, the concept of fully utilising Derreen House for short-term letting would appear to be at an early stage of development. As it stands, the applicant already has a residence on the estate,” the inspector said.
An Bord Pleanála also refused permission on two other grounds, these being the possible effect on the Kenmare River Special Area of Conservation, which has protection under EU legislation, as well as the risk to surface and groundwater, notwithstanding there would be the installation of a tertiary treatment system for sewage.
Results for the year to the end of August last show Mr Bigham’s premium ready meals business, which is based in London, had sales of £132.6 million (€154.5 million), up 9 per cent on the previous year. Profit before tax jumped 22 per cent to £5.59 million (€6.5 million).
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