A BALTIMORE resident, who is also a former deputy chairman of An Bord Pleanála (ABP), was today sentenced to two months in jail, after pleading guilty to making false or misleading declarations of interest to the planning body.
Before Judge James McNulty at Skibbereen District Court on Tuesday, architect Paul Hyde (50) of 4, Castlefields, Baltimore, was prosecuted for not disclosing to An Bord Pleanála in 2015 a small strip of land, which, in industry terms, is known as ‘a ransom parcel’, ie land of no significant development value in itself, but which may be of value to the owner of adjoining land.
The accused also pleaded guilty to a charge of making a misleading declaration of interest by not disclosing properties in 2018 that had gone into receivership the previous year.
Barrister John Berry, instructed by Clodagh Grace from the State solicitor’s office, said nine charges – for the years 2014 to 2022 – had initially been brought against the accused but seven were being withdrawn.
Det Sgt Shane Curtis of the garda national economic crime unit told the court that the investigation into the affairs of Paul Hyde was initiated following the publication of articles on The Ditch website and The Village.
The accused’s barrister Paula McCarthy, instructed by Colette McCarthy of Wolfe & Co, said Paul Hyde believed the 2015 parcel of land, which was registered in his name, and the name of another person, was below a value threshold.
In respect of the 2018 offence, the barrister said the properties had gone into receivership in 2017, and he had received ‘no financial gain from them’.
Judge McNulty said ignorance of the law is never a defence and that the matter was too serious to consider dismissing the charges under the Probation Act. The judge adjourned the imposition of penalty to a sitting of Bandon District Court.
Paul Hyde became a member of An Bord Pleanála in 2014 and in January 2019 was appointed deputy chairman – a position from which he resigned in July 2022.
In mitigation, Ms McCarthy said her client co-operated fully with the investigation. As a father of three, she added, he is supporting his children but has been unemployed since 2022.
‘If a conviction is imposed,’ said Ms McCarthy, ‘it will impact his employment prospects.’
In court today in Bandon, Mr Hyde was sentenced to two months in jail, but indicated his intention to appeal.
