Local residents object as construction continues on two unauthorised houses at Templeogue, Dublin.
Building contractor James O'Loughlin has planning permission to build the new Ashfield housing estate in the Dublin suburb of Templeogue. Construction has stopped on the 84 new homes for which James O’Loughlin Limited has full planning permission but building continues on two unauthorised houses.
These houses, numbers 77 and 78, are not in the position as shown on the plans previously submitted to Dublin County Council for planning permission. Building on the two properties continues apace, despite protests from local residents who are furious that planning laws are being flouted. They have made their objections known to Dublin County Council.
Those particularly aggrieved by the works are the residents of numbers 13, 15 and 17 Cypress Park who are completely overlooked by the two new houses and complain about invasion of privacy.
James O’Loughlin offers to make a fresh application for the retention of those houses and build a screen wall at the northern boundary,
This wall would prevent the neighbours being overlooked.
He proposes to raise the garden walls to six feet.
Carmel McDonnell lives with her husband and five daughters directly behind one of controversial houses. She bemoans their lack of privacy,
No matter where we go in our own house we could see it.
She also complains that the new house is too high,
It’s higher than our own house.
She does not feel the solution to the problem is a high wall as it would block out the light on her family’s garden.
The two illegal houses are valued at £25,000. The residents of Cypress Park people want to see the houses demolished. They do not feel the Council is taking their concerns seriously and worry it will simply issue James O’Loughlin with a fine.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 22 February 1973. The reporter is Pat Sweeney.
