Narconon drug rehab centre in Ballivor gets go-ahead

The Court of Appeal has upheld a decision which means the Narconon residential drug rehabilitation centre linked to the Church of Scientology can go ahead.

The court upheld a decision last year of the High Court that An Bord Pleanála was incorrect in deciding that the facility at Ballivor requires planning permission.

Narconon Trust purchased the property in Ballivor after Meath Co Council confirmed, in a Section 5 Declaration in September 2016, that planning permission was not required for a change of use from a nursing home to a residential drug rehabilitation centre. Consequently, the building was developed as an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre.

More than two years later, in 2018, when construction work on the building was nearly complete, An Bord Pleanála made a contradictory declaration.

In January of last year, Narconon Trust was given the go-ahead to open the controversial €9m drugs rehab centre in Ballivor after the High Court quashed the An Bord Pleanala decision that it needed planning permission for a change of use at the facility.

The High Court had decided that ABP did not have the power to make decisions in respect of what was, in fact, an attempt to question, in 2018, the validity of the Council's 2016 decision concerning the same matter, while no change of circumstances was present and while mandatory procedures to challenge the decision were not followed.

The Supreme Court today upheld that High Court decision.

Narconon is a drug-free, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme operating for more than 50 years across 18 countries around the world, including in the UK since 1974.

The Ballivor operation would be the first Narconon facility in Ireland and its links to the Church of Scientology and controversial methods of treatment have drawn serious criticisms from the local Ballivor community previously with protests held at the former nursing home and outside Meath Co Council.

More to follow...