Couple fails to stop demolition of Co Meath home built in ‘wilful’ breach of planning laws almost 20 years ago

by Banania2020

46 comments

  1. Has it been demolished or is it still up to them to do it?

  4. I have issues with the planning process but this was wilful
    disregard for it. Zero sympathy for this couple. It has been going on so long it is just annoying. They have exhausted every avenue and found every excuse they could. They knew the risks and no believed their excuses.

  5. Jesus, you think that after 20 years they would have found someone to bribe.

  6. Rather than demolishing a house in a supposed housing crisis just make them pay a large fine and move on.

    This comes from someone who had two journeys through planning applications. I came to the conclusion that the person in charge of planning in my area just didn’t like houses.

  7. I make about 140k a year and own houses in Dublin, Castlebar and Brussels

  11. Yeah I mean what did they expect? They knew what they were doing. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  13. They’ll submit another slighted altered retention planning app in a few weeks.

    Delay delay delay

  14. I’m sure this point has been made loads of times before , but you think they’d at least build a nice looking house instead of that kip after going to the hassle of breaking planning law. 

  15. Good, but they managed to get 20 years out of it so they probably don’t give a shit at this stage.

  16. Seems like there is an article like this every couple months. “The Murray’s have lost another court battle to save their house”. Pretty frightening to think that a case as clear as this can take 20 years. I wonder how long the tough ones take?

  18. Surely something like this would be resolved by the court the first time around. Surely the council/court could issue a stop to any further applications or court appeals and in the meantime demolish the building and force them to pay for that.

  19. They must be in for millions between legal fees and construction costs.

  20. At this stage they should just be allowed to leave it stand, it’s such a beautiful home and it’s been 20 years it would be awful for it to be demolished

  22. Would love to know how much money has been spent on this legal case by Meath County Council. The arrogance of this couple is genuinely astounding. The fact this went all the way to the Supreme Court as well is mad to me.

  23. yawn

    Just demolish the illegally-built fucking thing already!

  24. Is this actually harming anybody or is this just a box ticking exercise that they didn’t comply with planning and a council are trying to flex their muscles?

  25. I’m expecting some of the usual suspects to take an interest in this. “Fight the state, fight the ruling class, fight the technocrats crushing our freedom on the land”.

    Etc.

  26. I’m going to start ignoring these stories unless the house actually gets demolished.

    I think there’s a broader issue here with the courts entertaining multiple frivolous appeals issued in bad faith by this couple. When the original enforcement was issued and their opportunity to resolve it had passed, they should have been given one further opportunity to appeal. After that, the judgement should have stood and no further legal challenge should have been permitted.

    I’d love to know how much the state has had to pay in legal fees for this case. It must be well over a million euro by now. Whatever the cost, it’s taxpayers money

  27. With the money they have spent defending their stupid decision over the last 15 years, they would have built a new house multiple times.

    I think revenue should be having a look at where all the money is coming from.

  28. I’d bet every penny I have this house will never be demolished.

  29. I’m so sick of this story. The fact they could battle for 20 years is ridiculous. Until they knock the thing down I won’t believe they’ll give up.

  30. Not these two again, they’ve found an infinite loop hole in the system, and there’s apparently nothing anyone can do to prevent them dragging it on indefinitely.

    For the last 15 years, the story has been: they have been applying for retention, it’s gets refused, they appeal it, that gets refused and demolition is ordered. They then send in a new retention app with a slight alteration, and thanks to our archaic planning laws the process protects them and it has to be reviewed. It inevitably gets denied, they appeal, it gets denied and the process starts all over again.

    The amount of money wasted by Meath county council dragging this through the courts. I mean the arrogance of the pair of them. They built a house almost 3 times the size of what they originally had applied to build, which ironically enough I believe the original house was also refused planning.

  31. Just roll the wrecking ball in already – literally have it on standby for the day the court judgement is expected, and let swing 1 second later.

  34. Peak celtic tiger notions fugly McMansion. Who were the designers? Stevie Wonder and Associates?

    Should be ground to dust for an assault on peoples’ eyes alone.

  35. If we ever see the day, I hope the demo is broadcast live.

  36. How can they afford the risk, the build and the 20 year legal battle. Are they millionaires?

  38. They should have made it an iPas centre, like kippure village

  40. If yours car is out of tax 5 years and you got away with it for so long should you not be done?

    Rule are rules break them and there’s consequences all building built illegally, should be knocked down.

  41. What was the original reasoning for the planning permission to be denied in 2006?

  42. At the end of the day it will still be sad to see such a nice house getting leveled…

  43. Pretty sure both their kids went to boarding school..

  44. You’d be afraid to go away on your holidays. I wonder do they take everything with them

  45. They should have had jcbs on site and the minute it was rubber-stamped, ring em to start wrecking the place before they can file an appeal and drag the bollox out of it again.

  46. A positive step, but it’s a pity County Councils across the board aren’t more proactive in dealing with people who blatantly disregard planning laws and regulations from the outset.

    A couple next door to my grandparents got planning permission for a lovely single story extension in keeping with the aesthetic of the cottage they were building on to. They proceeded to build a two story monstrosity that sticks out like a sore thumb with balconies overlooking both neighbouring properties. We notified the local Council soon after works began and it took months of following up before someone even came to look at it. Lo and behind, it was near complete before the enforcement letter issued, not that it stopped them.

    After a long and tedious process, An Bord Pleanala granted permission with conditions, despite the fact the couple clearly set out to deceive and circumvent the proper processes.

    Throughout the process I’ve met other people whose lives have been affected by people giving a middle finger to planning laws.

    Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission it seems.

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