A terrace of seven houses has been demolished in Co Tyrone after developers failed to secure planning approval, it emerged today.
Five of the properties on the 22-home development in Strabane were found not to have been built in line with planning regulations.
Gardens to the rear of the properties were smaller than they should have been, and it was deemed there was a potential loss of privacy to existing properties.
The North's Department of the Environment said a warning letter was sent to the developer last month asking for the demolition of the terrace, between Melvin Road and Melvin Hall.
Mitigating factors put forward by the builders were deemed insufficient.
David Ferguson, chief executive of the Planning Service, said: "This is an excellent result brought about by the dedication and hard work of planning staff.
"We welcome the developer's co-operation in reacting quickly to our concerns. It prevented unnecessary public expenditure."
PA