Claim local councillors ignored their concerns
CITY HALL’S planning authority has confirmed that planning permission for a house, in the name of a city council employee, and in the backgarden of an existing residence, was not fully adhered to.
Residents of Hillcrest Drive, Greystones, just off the Ennis Road, brought the alleged breach of planning laws to City Hall’s attention.
They argue that alterations were made to the single storey annex at the rear of the new dwelling, without permission. They also claimed their objections were ignored by city councillors, when the issue was raised with them.
A formal warning letter to the owners of the property was sent by the Planning Control Office of Limerick City Council.
An application for the retention of the alterations was received by the City Council on January 27.
Councillor Tom Shortt, called for a vigorous examination of an application for retention of work on the property, at a meeting of Limerick City Council, on Monday.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, he said: “At Monday’s meeting I drew attention to the fact that the applicants are employees of Limerick City Council, and I would be in dereliction of my duty if I did not bring forward the concerns of the residents”.
Cllr Shortt was surprised that the application for retention was not listed in the agenda he received for the meeting, pointing out that the relevant page was missing.
“There is a perception and suspicion amongst the residents that their objections had not been entertained, and the missing page only adds to that suspicion”.
Pages 31 and 32 of the listed applications, which contained the application number 1010, were also missing from the agenda received by Limerick Post journalist Marie Hobbins, who attended the meeting.
Responding to the concerns raised by residents, the owner of the property, said: “We went through the proper channels and received planning permission for the house”.
She said that the residents, who appealed the original decision to build the house to An Bord Pleanala, were entitled to do so: “Everyone had an opportunity to put in an appeal and the decision was upheld by an independent body, An Bord Pleanala”.
Greystones and District Residents Association’s objection to the original application argued that the house would be out of character with the area, would result in a loss of privacy and sunlight for existing residents and devalue their properties.
Their greatest concern however, was that it would set an undesirable precedent. One explained: “We have found it virtually impossible to get permission for minor alterations such as dormer windows at the back of our houses, yet a house was allowed to be built in a garden. The original house design was not adhered to. Questions need to be asked”.
Residents have accused other councillors in the area of consistently ignoring their calls to address concerns raised about the application, originally made in 2006.
“We saw how quickly the councillors moved to highlight an alteration of a house in Vereker Gardens by a homeless agency, yet they decided to ignore our issue”.
When contacted, Cllr Michael Hourigan said that he made representations on their behalf to the Planning Department on two occasions.
