A High Court judge has overturned decisions by An Bord Pleanála that a proposed residential €9m drug rehabilitation centre in Co Meath, linked to the Church of Scientology, requires planning permission. It has about 40 drug rehab facilities around the world and has spent some €9m to date on purchasing and constructing the Ballivor facility. In February 2018, Ballivor Community Group (BCG) and Trim Municipal District Council (TMDC) sought declarations from the Meath Council concerning whether the proposed facility is exempted development. The court could not permit a “collateral” attack by both notice parties on the Council’s 2016 declaration using their 2018 requests, he said. In the circumstances, he would quash the Board’s decisions of November 2018, the judge concluded.

Source: The Irish Times January 24, 2020 13:52 UTC