Wexford County Council will move later today to prevent property developer Harry Crosbie from continuing with coastal protection works near his house. The council says the work does not have the necessary planning permission and is within a Special Area of Conservation. Mr Crosbie, who is a highly successful entrepreneur, has a large property portfolio in Dublin's docklands and a long association with the Point Depot.
Last year, he sought planning permission to install coastal erosion control products near a site at Kilpatrick, 10km north of Courtown, on the Wicklow-Wexford border. However this March, Wexford County Council refused planning. Such work would also require the permission of the Department of the Environment because part of the site is a Special Area of Conservation. Despite this, work involving a crane and other trucks started close to Mr Crosbie's house last Monday.
On foot of complaints from locals, the council sent an engineer to evaluate the situation on Tuesday. Later today, the council will issue what are termed enforcement letters to Mr Crosbie in order to compel him to discontinue the work. When contacted by RTÉ News last night, Mr Crosbie said he had no comment.