Inspectors from Monaghan County Council will today examine a controversial site near Lough Muckno, Castleblaney. A British-based property firm wants to build 51 holiday homes.
Planning permission for the development ran out at midnight. Council officials will decide whether it should be extended.
With 90 acres of land and 900 acres of water, Lough Muckno has been called the Killarney of the North. It is also the site of one of the most controversial developments in the State.
Monaghan County Council gave planning permission for a holiday home development in 1997. This was taken back by Castleblaney Urban District Council but re-granted by An Bord Pleanála.
Harinbrook Properties finally began to clear the area and lay foundations a few weeks ago, amid protests from local people. Planning permission for the development ran out at midnight, and it is now up to County Council officials to decide what happens next.
Inspectors will draft a report after visiting the site and a decision will be taken after talks with the firm. Interestingly, the Council has already issued the firm with a forfeiture notice for non-compliance with conditions of their lease agreement.
In the 1980s, Lough Muckno was a public park which the Council spent £4m developing. The debt is still be paid off by the Council in monthly instalments.
