Mansfield admits building without full permission

MILLIONAIRE businessman and leading Fianna Fáil supporter, Jim Mansfield, has admitted he was “technically wrong” to begin construction work on a €50m conference centre at his Citywest hotel and golf complex in south-west Dublin without fully-authorised planning permission.

The property developer acknowledged yesterday that he had “taken a risk” by starting work on the site without waiting for the statutory four-week waiting period for objections to An Bord Pleanála to elapse.

Mr Mansfield’s development company, HSS, was granted planning permission for the 5,900-seater centre by South Dublin County Council last November, despite objections by several State bodies including the Department of Environment, the National Roads Authority and the Dublin Transportation Office.