Planning board called in to rule after Limerick neighbours paint roofs red

A local authority has called in the country’s top planning referee to decide if two suburban neighbours should get a yellow card over painting their roofs red.

Paddy Mullins and Eamon Murphy, living in semi-detached four-bedroom homes at No 5 and No 6 St Nessan’s Park, Dooradoyle, both repainted their houses last July and applied a reddish coat over the brown tiles.

However,a Limerick City and County Council official who recently spotted their handiwork decided the colour scheme was totally out of character for the area.

The pair received letters stating planning permission had not been sought, with a warning they could each face massive fines of up to €12m if the matter proceeded to court

Mr Mullins advised the council that the original terracotta slates were red when the houses were built about 60 years ago.

City Hall planners examined maps and discovered a “tinge of red” in one roof.

Paddy Mullins home at  St Nessan's Park, Dooradoyle, Limerick who along with his neighbour has run into trouble with the Council after he restored his roof tiles to their original colour.

With the case reportedly unprecedented, the council handed the matter over to An Bord Pleanála. A decision is due in May.

Planning breaches can carry a fine not exceeding €12,697,380.26 or a jail term not exceeding two years, or both.

Mr Mullins, a 67-year-old grandfather, bought No 5 St Nessan’s Park and moved in with his wife Mary five years ago.

Since then he has carried out extensive renovations, including the building of a large fish pond in the front garden.

He said: “I delivered terracotta tiles and roof slates all over the country when I worked with Roadstone. When I moved in here it was obvious that all eight houses on this side of St Nessan’s Park had terracotta roofs.

“However, they got discoloured over the years through the accumulation of moss and grime. After I decided to repaint my house and clean off the roof, my neighbour said he would like to have the same colour scheme.

“There must have been a half a ton of moss taken from the two roofs and all we did was restore them to their old terracotta glory. The people living in the area could not believe how well the houses look now.”

Mr Mullins, a life-long member of Geraldines junior soccer club, has told the council the painting was an exempted development and they would strenuously defend any action.

He said he wanted to retain all the old features, including the original roof colour.

He said: “I restored and retained the cast-iron eaveshoots and the drains which were in bad condition rather than replace them with plastic. I checked all eight houses on my side of the road and they all have terracotta roofs which have been discoloured over the years. The eight houses on the other side of the road have black roofs. That makes me believe that there was a time lapse between the building of the two sides of the estate and the builders put black roofs on the other side and terracotta on our side.

“All our neighbours seem very happy with what we have achieved. I have no intention of painting the roof of my house black. I can’t see why anybody could object to the appearance of our houses.”