A ‘mini-mansion’ built 17 years ago in Meath has become a “circus” for locals as the owners refuse to knock down the property. 

That’s according to presenter Anna Daly, explaining the recent controversy surrounding properties built without planning permission. 

“Hundreds built houses, log cabins and granny flats without permission,” she told Stefanie Preissner on The Anton Savage Show. 

“This won't be a surprise to loads of people - particularly during lockdown, granny flats, bunk houses added-on offices to houses [were built]. 

“Some are genuine bunkhouse-type places for their kids - it could have been a lockdown project - [but] others are revenue streams [such as tenancies], so there's a grey area going on.” 

'They decided to build the house anyway'

Explaining the Irish Independent report, Ms Daly said hundreds have been asked to demolish the properties, including one “mini-mansion” in Meath. 

“[The owners] applied for planning permission for a two-storey dwelling and then it seems they had various issues it was refused several times,” she explained. 

“After the permission was refused, they went ahead and decided to build the house anyway.” 

Ms Daly said the house has become a “circus” for people to drive by and point out the now infamous house. 

Emergency accommodation pressure

Mediahuis News Head Kevin Doyle said the owners in Meath are now arguing they should not have to demolish their home in the middle of a housing crisis. 

“Meath County Council actually offered them emergency accommodation in exchange for moving out of the housing peacefully, to allow the bulldozers to come in and take it down,” he said. 

“It’s extraordinary when we know what kind of pressure emergency accommodation is under.” 

'We have a housing crisis'

Mr Doyle explained there is a long history of small properties being built without permission. 

“Down the country, it is quite common for a farmer to slap up a shed and say nothing and then a couple of years later, they apply for retention planning permission,” he said. 

“That now seems to have been extended into the domestic realm whereby people are putting things in their gardens or extensions onto their houses. 

“The question is, what do local authorities do in those scenarios? We have a housing crisis. 

“[But] if they don't go and try and take some sort of enforcement action against these people, why do the laws exist in the first place?” 

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