Reply To: Wiggins Teape

Whatever you might think about what was done, it was not illegal. Because this office/industrial building was not listed, planning permission was not required for its demolition, only for the building that was to replace it.

Planning permission is required where development takes place. Illogically, Irish planning law does not include demolition of non-listed, non-residential buildings within the definition of what constitutes development. What is needed is no more than a very simple change in the law, a small extension of the definition of development. As with, for example, small house extensions, classes of minor or inconsequential demolition could easily be scheduled by regulation to constitute exempted development. I can see no reason why such a change in the law should add to delays in development or significantly increase costs or overbuden the planning system.