Community group walks into difficulty over ‘unauthorised’ track build

A community group in West Waterford could run into difficulty with planning laws over the unauthorised construction of a surfaced track near a local beauty spot.

An Bord Pleanála has ruled that planning permission is required for a forest walk being developed by the Comeragh Community Development Group near Mahon Falls, in the Comeragh Mountains.

The case arose after a local guide writer, Declan McGrath, sought direction from the planning appeals authority in January 2016 about whether the 2.7km road needed to obtain planning.