New IT Systems, More Staff, But Unauthorised Builds Soar In Kildare As Cllrs Demand In-Person Meetings

Kildare County Council’s Executive confirmed a significant increase in complaints about unauthorised developments and acknowledged that the issue is becoming more complex and widespread.

Seven Kildare councillors have pushed for bi-monthly, in-person meetings to tackle a sharp rise in unauthorised developments across the county.

It follows concerns over the increasing number of buildings and works carried out without proper planning permission.

They called on the council to commit to regular face-to-face sessions dedicated to addressing the issue.

Kildare County Council’s executive acknowledged a significant increase in complaints about unauthorised developments and said the issue is becoming more complex and widespread.

To combat this, the council has introduced new IT systems to better track cases and has adopted a triage system that prioritises enforcement actions based on the severity and complexity of each complaint.

The planning enforcement team has been expanded to nine full-time staff members, with cases allocated to officers based on their experience.

While councillors cannot be briefed on specific cases due to legal restrictions, the council has committed to providing regular updates through monthly Chief Executive reports.

These updates will include data on new complaints, enforcement notices issued, warning letters sent, and cases referred for legal action.

The enforcement process is governed by the Planning and Development Act 2000.

Once a written complaint is received, a warning letter must be issued within six weeks.

The alleged offender then has up to six months to resolve the breach before the council can initiate court proceedings.

Despite these timelines, councillors have expressed frustration that enforcement can be slow and that offenders often exploit the process to delay consequences.

The council stressed that decisions on legal action are executive functions and cannot be influenced by elected members.

While councillors cannot be briefed on specific cases due to legal restrictions, the council has committed to providing regular updates through monthly Chief Executive reports.

These updates will include data on new complaints, enforcement notices issued, warning letters sent, and cases referred for legal action.

Following a successful planning functions briefing earlier this year, the Planning Department has agreed to hold further sessions to keep councillors informed.

However, councillors insist that regular, dedicated in-person meetings are needed to ensure stronger oversight and more effective enforcement against unauthorised developments in Kildare.

An additional objective of the Planning Enforcement Team is to establish a multi-disciplinary approach, with relevant state agencies, where a "shared and collective aim will be to address specific cases of alleged unauthorised development and serial offenders," according to the council.

"Such an approach is in the early stages of development with initial engagements providing a positive basis for dealing with specific cases currently in the system," a spokesperson said.

The councillors who submitted the motion include: Fintan Brett, Paul Ward, Brendan Wyse, Tim Durkan, Daragh Fitzpatrick, William Durkan and Kevin Duffy.