Kelly Drains Hit Another Blockage

Kelly Drain’s Drummin HQ

espite the enforcement notices from Wicklow County Council and the failed planning appeal to An Bord Pleanala, it would appear Kelly Drain Maintenance Services Limited’s blockage of the Drummin mass path just won’t flush.

Again and again, they have ignored rulings against their fencing off of this ancient right of way with their new Drummin East HQ, opting instead for a seemingly never-ending stream of retention challenges and fresh planning applications.

It’s a ridiculous state of affairs that we first reported on back on July 14th 2016, and it beggars belief that – after 12 features over 7 years charting the repeated refusals by the Kelly gang to move their gates off this historical mass path – this sad saga has been allowed to drag on this long.

Hidden deep within the bowels of Wicklow Planning’s website, yet another application from the Kellys popped up on December 8th 2023…

Change of use of a farmyard complex including open yard for use as a commercial vehicular depot in connection with a drain maintenance business; change of use of an existing farm building (377.7sq m ) for the maintenance of trucks. Demolition of existing vacant dilapidated farm building (200 sq m) ; erection of wooden shiplap fencing of 1.8 m in height and approximately 80 m in length along part of the northern boundary of the commercial yard; erection of palisade fencing along the northern and eastern boundaries of the subject site, approximately 355 m in length and 2.3-2.6 m in height; extension of the existing open yard for the parking of trucks (approximately 1,140 sq m). The proposed development comprises the: construction of a 2 No. storey office building (446 sqm) to replace the demolished farm building; removal of the 4 No. temporary portable offices, canteen, storage buildings/ containers (87.8 sqm); provision of a truck bay wash; resurfacing of yard with a continuous concrete slab; erection of a hit and miss fence with a height of 1.8 m and approximately 97 m in length enclosing the yard along its eastern and southern extents; removal of existing, disused southern gate at the Farrankelly Road (R774) and replacement with fixed, palisade fencing; and associated site development works above and below ground.

And on Saturday, February 10th, this latest application was met with another planning refusal.

Given that the Kellys aren’t short of a bob or two, why not have their depot boundary fence on the other side of the mass path? Do they really need that ancient walkway to be part of their work station, especially given that their main entrance is elsewhere?

Kilcoole Tidy Towns – who have been working extensively over the years on maintaining this much-used and much-loved mass path – stated that if the Kellys had been successful in their latest application, “it could result in the closure of the Priestnewtown and Ballydonarea path to the sea”.

Given the seemingly endless back and forth between the Kellys and WCC, there is every chance, of course, that they will apply, apply, apply again.

For now, you can find out more about Kelly Drains’ planning application no.23894 over on Wicklow Planning right here.