Build first, ask later.

political analyst

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/build-first-ask-later-how-thousands-are-building-without-planning-permission-and-getting-away-with-it/a2037036538.html#:~:text=Building%20first%20and%20asking%20for,data%20seen%20by%20this%20newspaper.

A couple built a house without planning permission after making applications for permission that were denied. They say they regret building that house. The case is detailed in the article, which is free to read.

Surely, the housing crisis itself isn't the only explanation for the building of houses without permission (as opposed to inadvertent deviations from what is permitted in cases where original applications were accepted).

If an original application for permission is in line with the rules for building, then what reasons would a local authority have for refusing permission in the first place? If there are good reasons given for refusing permission, why are so many people disregarding those reasons? If you can't get permission to build in a certain area, then start again somewhere else.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058331806/build-first-ask-later

No has happened for years. I can't find the information now but a couple built a huge house during the boom before and ended up having to knock it down.

It's happened loads of times over the year, long before the housing crisis and long before the Celtic Tiger

Schorpio

If there are good reasons given for refusing permission, why are so many people disregarding those reasons?

A 'good' reason is not universal, and if you are on the wrong side of it (i.e. you have your permission denied) then you'll likely disagree with the reasons outlined by the Planners.

That doesn't (or shouldn't) give you the right to build whatever you want.

Interesting that the Murray's make an appearance in that article. There is a longstanding thread on here tracking their saga. I particularly like how they are quoted as 'regretting' their decision - but evidently not to the extent that they will now comply with the law and knock the house down. "We regret that we built the house without planning, but may we keep the house please"........!

BrianD3

People are thick, brazen cnuts and county councils are, with some justification, regarded as a joke. People fear Revenue. They don't fear Councils. The figures in that article show that applications for retention are usually granted - and not just in cases where there have been minor deviations.

"Data released by Sligo County Council under a Freedom of Information request showed that since 2019, nearly 40 retention applications relating to one-off houses have been approved.

Some were houses that differed from planning permission already granted, while others were houses built without any permission"

Also, we have the likes of Niall Collins TD and Damien English TD "forgetting" what property they own or where they live when applying for planning permission and getting away with it which undermines the system. I look forward to Damien English's house being bulldozed - nah, not going to happen.

plodder

I saw that article and wondered how they distinguished between retention applications for unauthorised developments, and retention applications for works that originally were exempt, but then required permission as part of some subsequent development. There's nothing wrong with the second category, as if the overall application gets refused, the original works are still exempt. But, are they being included in this category of unauthorised retention applications? It might make the problem look bigger than it is, if they are ...

L.Ball

Realistically, they're not gonna come in with bulldozers and tear down these houses are they?

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636057#Comment_121636057

They have done it before

SupaCat95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121640040#Comment_121640040

Remember the guy who had the massive palace at the end of the road in Co. Meath? this was maybe 4 years back? I am not taking sides but the County council wouldnt give him permission (Dont know the grounds) and dont know if they refused planning permission before?. Either way he built and both parties were entrenched for 10 years in a dispute over the property.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661307#Comment_121661307

That was been knocked down last time I seen

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636057#Comment_121636057

Very possibly.

The greater the number of cases arising, the more likely they will be made an example of.

But don't be tempted to have too much sympathy for such people, they knew exactly what they were doing, in the finest Irish tradition of asking not for permission, but forgiveness.

These tighter planning laws, especially on one-off housing, are there to try and protect the land and ecology for future generations and to reduce the inefficient ribbons of infrastructure that we see.

Without severe consequences, there would be a planning free-for-all, or plannarchy, if you will.

political analyst

This article of 9 August 2025 paywalled but I'll state the most important points here. It's about the case that was covered in a 2024 article that is in the OP and is free to read.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/the-life-changing-mistake-that-led-to-meath-home-worth-at-least-1m-now-being-on-the-brink-of-demolition/a332131000.html

Last week (as of this post), the Court of Appeal and An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) dismissed separate attempts by the Murrays to prevent the demolition. it now appears they have nearly exhausted all avenues.

Mr Justice Senan Allen said the legal challenges were "artifices calculated to postpone the evil day".

Brendan Buck of BPS Planning Consultants had argued to ACP that planning permission had been granted for 3 other properties within a 500 metre radius, despite Meath County Council repeatedly refusing the Murrays due to concerns about density.

Obviously, there's no justification for what the Murrays did. The question is: why were they refused permission in the first place when permission was granted for 3 other properties within that radius? What is the reason for the apparent inconsistency?

Furthermore, how did the Council not notice the illegal construction before it was completed? Surely, someone in the Council should have seen it or heard of it at an earlier stage.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714221#Comment_123714221

The question is: why were they refused permission in the first place when permission was granted for 3 other properties within that radius? What is the reason for the apparent inconsistency?

The land they built on was sterilised and they knew that. I dont know the specific reason why because I didn't look for it - I dont need to. However, just because some landowners down the road were granted permission to build on their land doesn't remove the validity of the Murray's land being sterilised (and their planner knows that and seems to be just trying the sympathy card)

Furthermore, how did the Council not notice the illegal construction before it was completed? Surely, someone in the Council should have seen it or heard of it at an earlier stage.

So each Council should employ staff to constantly drive around the county to look for unauthorised developments?

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714419#Comment_123714419

For everyone else's benefit, here's the definition of a sterilisation order in the context of land development. It's from the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council website:

A sterilisation of land deals with the restricting or with regulating development of lands for an agreed period of time, usually 7 years. 

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/council-democracy/property-management/land-ownership-enquiry

I've never seen the word "sterilisation" being used in the context of land development before. It seems bizarre.

One would've assumed that someone in the council would've heard mention of the Murrays' development in conversation locally or that someone in the locality would've reported the development to the council - it would've taken only one anonymous phone call.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714481#Comment_123714481

It came up before onnhere with regard to electricity pylon planning (one poster thought it literally meant sterilising the land due to woo nonsense about electricity).

Potatoeman

This is all a bit ironic given the government are bypassing planning permission themselves.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123716970#Comment_123716970

Do as we say..... Etc

arctictree

We had planning permission refused and one of the reasons was that they don't want any more traffic on this specific road.

Since then, 4 more houses were approved planning on the same road.

Its this inconsistency that really annoys people.

The local council also fought all the way to the high court to prevent a local derelict building being renovated (as the applicants weren't locals). Yet at the same time grant permission for houses on green field sites. The mind boggles.