Planning fine for shed man

Raymond Pedlow of Annesborough Road in Lurgan, who was fined 1,000 for the same offence last year, has claimed the building is for agricultural use.

However, the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) ruled in 2006 that the presence of a toilet and kitchen in the building suggested it was for commercial use.

Pedlow was also fined 74 court costs and 75 solicitor's costs.

He had argued at the PAC that he housed cows in the building, which was built on his father's land.

However the commission carried out two spot visits to the site and found that there were only cows in the building on one of the occasions.

It said that this was a "snapshot" which did not satisfactorily resolve whether it was being consistently used for solely agricultural purposes.

The commission's report also noted that in 2004, Pedlow had submitted and been refused an application for using the building as a tachograph installation centre.

A neighbour who objected to the building had complained about the number of lorries entering the land.