NAAS, 18 December 2001: by Trish Whelan. Residents of Kingsfurze estate in Naas say cars parked outside a residential care house at the entrance to their estate are causing problems to traffic going in and out from the Dublin Road.

The issue was raised by Cllr Mary Glennon (left) at UDC level.

She said the number of cars parked there varies from 5 to 13, ‘which is 6 times as many cars as you would expect in a private house’. Big security gates guard the driveway.

The house, not part of the estate proper, was built as a single-storey private family home and neighbours were assured it would not be extended. “Then it escalated into a big two-storey house and overnight the South Western Area Health Board (Naas) moved in and took it over for use as a residential care home,” she said. She wanted to know if the SWAHB was complying with proper rules and regulations.

Town clerk Declan Kirrane said the Health Board were exempt from seeking planning permission for a change of use under the 1994 Local Government Planning & Development Regulations.

“They are entitled to use it for a residence for persons with an intellectual or physical disability provided the number of residents do not exceed six and the number of residential carers does not exceed two people,” he said. Anything more requires a change of use.

He has written to the SWAHB asking for specific information including the number of children and carers present and how long it intends to use the building.

It was pointed out that the residents are not objecting to a residential care centre - only the number of cars on the road outside.

©2001knn