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| New rural home ban ruled unlawful | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A ban on building new homes in rural areas of Northern Ireland has been overturned in the High Court. | A ban on building new homes in rural areas of Northern Ireland has been overturned in the High Court. |
| Judge Mr Justice Gillen quashed a decision by former Stormont minister Lord Rooker on planning regulation PPS 14, declaring it to be unlawful. | Judge Mr Justice Gillen quashed a decision by former Stormont minister Lord Rooker on planning regulation PPS 14, declaring it to be unlawful. |
| Omagh District Council had sought the judicial review, arguing there had been no effective consultation. | Omagh District Council had sought the judicial review, arguing there had been no effective consultation. |
| Thousands of planning decisions made since the regulation came into force in March 2006 may now be appealed. | Thousands of planning decisions made since the regulation came into force in March 2006 may now be appealed. |
| Direct rule minister Lord Rooker introduced the controversial measure in response to a surge in planning applications for new dwellings in rural areas. | Direct rule minister Lord Rooker introduced the controversial measure in response to a surge in planning applications for new dwellings in rural areas. |
| PPS 14 was detrimental to rural communities and fundamentally at odds with sustainable rural development Bert WilsonOmagh District Council In a ten-year period, such applications had risen from 1,845 in 1994/95 to 9,520 by 2004/05. | PPS 14 was detrimental to rural communities and fundamentally at odds with sustainable rural development Bert WilsonOmagh District Council In a ten-year period, such applications had risen from 1,845 in 1994/95 to 9,520 by 2004/05. |
| The move angered the farming community who claimed a ban on building a home for relatives would drive them from the land. | The move angered the farming community who claimed a ban on building a home for relatives would drive them from the land. |
| But it was welcomed by environmentalists such as Friends of the Earth, which claimed rural areas had to be protected from over-development, often referred to as "bungalow blight." | But it was welcomed by environmentalists such as Friends of the Earth, which claimed rural areas had to be protected from over-development, often referred to as "bungalow blight." |
| Welcoming Friday's ruling, Omagh District Council chairman Bert Wilson insisted that they did not want it to lead to a "planning free-for-all". | Welcoming Friday's ruling, Omagh District Council chairman Bert Wilson insisted that they did not want it to lead to a "planning free-for-all". |
| He said that PPS 14 was "detrimental to rural communities and fundamentally at odds with sustainable rural development". | He said that PPS 14 was "detrimental to rural communities and fundamentally at odds with sustainable rural development". |
| Mr Wilson said they wanted planning based on local development plans proposed by councils. | Mr Wilson said they wanted planning based on local development plans proposed by councils. |
| The action was also backed by Armagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Moyle and Strabane councils. | The action was also backed by Armagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Moyle and Strabane councils. |