A FORMER Cambridge maths professor and Nasa consultant has criticised controversial plans to drain water from a river in one of the country's beauty spots.

The proposals surrounding the River Sheen in Kenmare, Co Kerry have met fierce opposition from locals who claim they will have devastating long-term effects on the community and set a worrying example for national practice. Council officials have dismissed the concerns and say the process is essential in order to meet the demand for a growing town and bustling tourism industry.

However, raising serious questions over official calculations, Dr John Skilling, who has previously designed software to guide Nasa's Hubble Telescope, said simply: "It's not rocket science."

Originally a physicist and later an academic at Cambridge's math department, Skilling has lived in the area for the last 10 years and has questioned the council's position. He believes that local lakes, some of which are already used, would provide the required additional supply.

"It seems to have opened up a whole can of worms in terms of procedures," he said. "It's consistency over truth and there is no technical assessment. No one is checking anything."

However, Kerry County Council, which has produced three separate reports on the issue, insists research has been carried out properly. The preferred option to take water from the River Sheen was rejected by councillors although with ongoing concerns over access to lakes in conservation areas, the matter is due for further discussion at a council meeting next month.

Demand for water in the tourist region is likely to surge from a peak daily requirement of 3,100 cubed metres per day to 4,500. The most cost-effective options are believed to be the River Sheen and Barfinnihy Lake although the latter incorporates "cost uncertainty".

Skilling claims: "As far as I am concerned, the calculations that the council has for lake yields are plain wrong.

"The lake is a good way of storing volume and you can see what is there. With a river it's less secure; you don't quite know what it is going to do," he said. "A river can also be dirtier because it's downstream of people and animals."

Locals believe any move to extract supply from the river would have detrimental effects on farming, the local Sheen Falls beauty spot and the ability of the community to build and carry on in the immediate vicinity. Against these concerns, the council said it would have only minimal impact.