The decision by Tipperary County Council to demolish 52 partially completed houses overlooking the Rock of Cashel is “absolutely unfathomable”, a spokesperson for the original developer of the project has said. The council confirmed its decision last Friday to demolish the properties at Ballypadeen, which were meant to be holiday homes linked to a hotel that never materialised and have lain derelict for close to 20 years. Demolition works are expected to begin in September “once the nesting season has finished”, the local authority said, which is “progressing through the procurement process”.Planning permission for the “holiday suites” on an elevated six-hectare site and a 120-bedroom, four-storey over-basement hotel and leisure centre, complete with bus and car parking and a helipad, was granted to Co Laois developer Liam Campion in November 2004 by what was then South Tipperary County Council.Construction began in 2006 but halted the following year after the council claimed that the houses were not being built in compliance with planning permission.Campion denied breaching planning rules and, in December 2008, the claims against him were dismissed by Cashel District Court because the council could not prove its case.Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the council’s decision to demolish the properties was 'an act of betrayal'. Photograph: Enda O'Down Complex planning and legal engagement between the parties followed, including Campion pursuing the council for damages. Last July, a mediated settlement between Campion and Tipperary County Council was agreed.As part of the agreed remediation, the council began progressing a “Part 8″ planning application – a planning application made by a local authority – to remove the houses. Once that is complete, the future of the site’s development will rest with Campion.A spokesperson for Campion said on Monday: “Liam feels the same as every other citizen should feel in this country: this is absolutely unfathomable to think that this can happen in a housing crisis.“The last thing he wants is for these houses to be knocked. It goes against what the Irish citizens need,” they said. The spokesperson added that there were “no plans yet” as to what Campion would do with the site once it is returned to him.[ At the Rock of Cashel, a ‘lovely development’ of 52 unfinished houses will be demolishedOpens in new window ]Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy said he was aware of “lots of people complaining” of the negative impact the site was having on the local area and in particular its proximity to the Rock of Cashel, which he described as “one of our most important heritage landmarks”. “While it is understandable public frustration from the actual planning and legal position facing the local authority, the council obviously has obligations under the planning framework,” the Tipperary South TD said. “Of course I would have preferred to see a situation whereby a viable housing development could be delivered, but based on the evidence presented to the elected members, the cost of bringing these units up to a safe and compliant standard was extremely substantial.” Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who had raised the issue a number of times in the Dáil, said the council’s decision was “an act of betrayal” to the people of Tipperary, where “hundreds of people are waiting for houses”. Sinead Carr, chief executive of the council, said it had been a complex and sensitive case and the council “fully recognise the strength of public feeling, particularly in the context of the current housing crisis”.“However, the council must make decisions based on planning law, policy, and the long-term sustainable development of the area,” she said. The site is located on unzoned and unserviced land outside the Cashel settlement boundary, according to the local authority, and residential development would conflict with national, regional and local planning policy. Independent technical assessments found “significant defects”, including water damage and noncompliance with building regulations, it said, and any reuse would require “substantial reconstruction”. The estimated cost of adapting the development for residential use is about €24 million, it added, “making reuse financially unviable”.