Report Paul Murphy
The 20-year row over the building without planning permission of a house at Bohermeen, Navan has cost Meath County Council €378,515.90 in legal fees – and the bill is still climbing. The cost to the council of pursuing the case over many hurdles was revealed to Meath Live following a query from Meath Live News.
The saga started in 2006 when Chris and Rose Murray applied for planning permission for a storey-and-a-half house at Faughan Hill, Bohermeen. Permission was refused by Meath County Council but the couple went ahead in any case and built the house at twice the size.
The affair has seen many visits to the courts and the planning commission involving various attempts by the couple to hold onto the house despite its unauthorised status, and an equally determined county council aiming to uphold planning laws. There have been visits to the High Court and to the Supreme but the council council wants the house demolished and has court backing for this. At one stage the owners proposed demolishing 267 square metres of the 526 sq m home.
The latest move came in August this year when the Murrays lost a last-ditch appeal to prevent demolition. A three-judge court of appeal heard their case but rejected their appeal saying that the planning breach was wilful. The court of appeal said that it was “perverse” that a couple had driven “a coach and four” through the Planning Act.
Following that 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. Mr and Ms Murray have made an application for leave to appeal the Court of Appeal decision made on 5 th August last by Mr Justice Allen.
