By Paul Murphy

Meath County Council said today that it will pursue all cases of unauthorised developments following the loss of a court appeal by the owners of a house at Bohermeen built without planning permission 20 years ago. Chris Murray and his wife Rose lost a last ditch  appeal to prevent the demolition of their home .A  three judge court of appeal heard their case but rejected their appeal, saying that the planning breach was “wilful”. 

Court hearings over the fate of the house at Faughan Hill, Bohermeen  have trundled along for two decades as the county Council remained resolute in having the planning breach rectified. The couple were refused permission for a house on the Bohermeen  site abut  they went ahead and built a house twice the size of the one they had originally planned.

In 2007 the couple were given a year to remove the unauthorised development from their land. That was not complied with  and the council issued contempt proceedings. In the latest court decision, which may be a final step in the planning saga, the court of appeal said that it was “perverse” that a couple had driven a ”coach and four” through the Planning Act.

Following the court decision  Meath County Council said that it was resolute in challenging breaches of planning legislation and would act against unauthorised developments which do not heed the law or comply with the planning process. It added it did not comment on individual cases.