Semi-Destruction
Demolition of house has ruined my home and health, says neighbour
A BUILDER has demolished his own house – and nearly pulled down his neighbour’s home in the process – all without planning permission.
Brian Morrow was only given the green light to tear down an extension at the back of his semidetached property in Dublin.
But the former quantity surveyor seemed intent on pulling down the whole building and the first his next-door neighbour knew was when she heard ‘an almighty wallop’ and her ‘whole house shook’.
‘My friend and I went out to see them pushing the exterior wall with a digger- type machine and I said, “You can’t do this in this way, it’s still attached to my house”,’ Una Gildea said.
‘The walls weren’t even disconnected properly at that stage.
‘The front wall was connected and there’s a steel frame from his house which goes right through my house,’ she said.
Mr Morrow was granted permission to demolish an extension behind 18 O’Donovan Road, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, the construction of a two-storey extension to the side and rear, alterations to the front, the construction of a chalet at the rear of the property and other ancillary works.
The consultancy firm which submitted the planning, Simon Beale and Associates, ticked ‘no’ underneath a section which asked: ‘Does the proposal involve the demolition of a building which forms part of a terrace of buildings or which abuts onto another building in separate ownership?’
Neighbours submitted objections but the development was approved by Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála.
However, after construction work began at the end of August, Ms Gildea, who lives alone at her home joining the property, noticed that the builders appeared to be exceeding the permission that had been granted.
She told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘They were doing a lot of demolition on the inside of the house and then I happened to go up into my attic. There’s no firewall between the houses so the bricks were exposed and I could see daylight through the top bricks and through my attic ceiling.
‘He should have insulated that. They should not have been left open for the weekend but I called him on that and they came and filled those in.
‘I also had to call him on leaving the parting wall exposed.
‘And I had to call to tell him it needs to be sheeted in plastic. He said, “Let me ask you one question, is it raining?”’
Ms Gildea also noticed evidence of sprawling in her downstairs bathroom and cracks on the wall.
Then, on September 5, she feared her house would be ruined as demolition workers tackled the adjoining property with heavy machinery.
She managed to get the works stopped pending a meeting with Mr Morrow and his engineer on September 10.
Ms Gildea said: ‘We met with him and his engineer and they said, “Okay, we won’t be using any more big machinery, we’ll take it down brick by brick”.’
In desperation, she contacted Dublin City Council planning enforcement to complain.
‘This is a serious breach of planning for what is listed for 18 O’Donovan Road,’ she said. ‘The chances of my property being seriously compromised are very real.’ Just a few days ago officials told her that they had issued an enforcement notice for 18 O’Donovan Road requiring the reinstatement of the front elevation and the completion of all other aspects of the development in accordance with the granted planning permission.
However, this is to be complied with by November 26, this year, and January 28, 2019, respectively.
Ms Gildea is severely disappointed as she feels Mr Morrow will be able to achieve his aim, regardless of the impact on her home, and she is now extremely concerned about the structural integrity of her home.
She said: ‘I’m running around ragged trying to find out what’s going on. This has caused huge stress and financial cost to me but the psychological impact of this – it’s really starting to take its toll.
‘He’s come in with no regard for me or my house or this community. These houses are 100 years old. This is the first one that has been completely demolished.
‘I’m in complete disbelief with the planning enforcement in DCC. He’s in serious breach and they’re doing nothing.’
‘The gall that someone can come in and think that they can get away with it. But I suppose he has.’
Mr Morrow, who works as a development manager for Ardstone Homes, a company which builds properties and estates, made no comment on the issue despite repeated requests yesterday.
He was previously employed as a senior quantity surveyor with Bam Construction for nearly 13 years.
‘You can’t do this, it’s attached to my home’ ‘I’m in complete disbelief with the planning dept’