Kildare residents battle shipping magnate's stud plans

THERE’s anger over the decision to grant permission to a UK shipping titan living in Belgium to create a new stud farm beneath the Hill of Allen.

The permission was granted by Kildare County Council KCC) last month, but has already been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) by members of the Baronstown Residents Association.

17 members of the group had made critical submissions to Kildare County Council John Kirkland’s plan was first announced in May 2024.

“This is the racing industry in a nutshell, thinking they can do what they like,” said a spokesperson for the Baronstown Residents Association.

“This originally had been smaller – a hobby – now it’s got legs, it’s on steroids,” he said.

“There are loads of stud farms for sale around Kildare. I don’t know why he doesn’t go and buy one of them?” he offered.

Mr Kirkland plans build a 15-acre stud on an existing 137-acre tillage farm he’s already bought.

On this he plans 20 horse boxes in a single barn, a principal one-storey residence, a grooms’ house at the gate, an eight-horse walker, and a six furlong sand gallop.

Mr Kirkland’s ties to the area, and his ability to demonstrate a local housing need, was one of the significant issues assessed by the council, with a planner stating: ‘the applicant has not sufficiently demonstrated compliance with local rural housing needs’, and sought Further Information (FI) during the initial planning process.

On receipt of further information which has not been publicly disclosed with the council citing GDPR issues, the planner wrote: ‘It complies with the local need criteria.’ 

“I’m very vocal, and so is everyone on the lane,” said the residents' spokesperson.

“We’ve all chipped in and employed a planning solicitor who specialises in this to fight Kirkland 

“He’s already discovered two similar applications – in Newbridge and in Clane – both rejected, so it’s a bit funny how this one got pulled over the line … this is not temporary."

Permission was granted by Kildare County Council under 28 conditions including two notable ones.

The first was that the planners deemed the application ‘would not injure the amenities of the area (not visible from the summit of the Hill of Allen or the R415) and would be in accordance with sustainable development in the area’.

The second – and probably the most important - demanded: ‘The main dwelling, when completed, should be occupied by John Kirkland, members of his immediate family, or heirs, for a minimum of 10 years.’ 

A decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála is due by 17 November.

The Kildare Nationalist asked the council why such a GDPR redaction would happen in a public document about an applicant's local housing need.

The council said: “Kildare County Council can clarify that there are different categories of Need under HO P11 (The section of the County Development plan that governs rural need for housing.).

“A person can have a social and/or economic need.

Please [note] extract from Chapter 3 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029. table 3.4 where A(ii) is the relevant category in this instance.

“Personal details submitted under the Rural Housing Assessment of Needs is always subject to GDPR regulations and is never published”.

It then goes on to quote the subsection, which shows that to get a rural permission you do not necessarily need long-term ties to a particular area to achieve this.

“An owner and operator of a farming/horticultural/forestry/bloodstock/animal husbandry business on an area less than 15Ha (37.5ac)” qualifies to make an application.