A cat rescue centre in Lisburn is facing closure after the local council demanded it removes portable cabins from the site.
Rescue Cat NI received a letter from Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in the days before Christmas telling the charity that it had 28 days to remove the portable cabins on its land as they had breached planning controls under the planning Act and they were not authorised.
One of the cabins is used to store cat food and supplies while the other, Harry's Cabin, provides shelter to elderly and sick cats that are not able to be rehomed. If the cabins are torn down it would mean that the cats staying there would become homeless.
Read more: Inside the cat rescue helping injured animals from across Northern Ireland
Read more: Max the dog 'unlikely to be released for Christmas' as campaign to save him continues
Following the news that the rescue centre is now at risk of closure, there has been widespread outrage among animal lovers who have questioned the council's actions saying this is the second incident where it appears to be putting the welfare of animals at risk in the space of a few weeks. The news comes in the wake of a campaign to save Max the puppy who faced being put down amid claims he is a pitbull.
Lynsey Jones, who runs Rescue Cat NI along with its volunteers, told Belfast Live she was shocked by the ultimatum and does not believe that she and the charity are being treated fairly by the council.
She says she had filled in forms regarding the cabins 15 months ago and sent them to the council but heard nothing until she received the letter, dated December 17, telling her she had 28 days to remove them.
Lynsey said: "Over the past few years since the rescue has been open we have had council officials here a number of times without any issues. In 2023 I was asked to fill out some forms regarding the purpose of the cabins on the land that I own, which I did, and then heard nothing back from the council for 15 months, when suddenly they have told me I have 28 days to remove the cabins.
"This feels entirely unfair to me and I cannot understand why the council has not tried to work with us in order to ensure the right planning permission was in place instead of issuing this demand that will put the future of the rescue centre at risk.
"It has also not been helpful that I received this letter just days before Christmas, which makes it very difficult for me to respond to it properly and gives me even less time to find a resolution.
"But, I am determined to do all that I can to resolve this and ensure that we are able to keep Cat Rescue NI open and I am thankful that there have been lots of people who have got in touch pledging their support for the rescue and willing to help us."
Rescue Cat NI volunteer Patricia said that she was outraged to hear that the council has demanded the removal of the cabins and that it has caused a lot of upset among cat and animal lovers.
She said: "It is very worrying to hear that the council has demanded the removal of these cabins, one of which is used to provide a home for sick and elderly cats. It feels like the council has no regard for the welfare of animals recently. First there have been the problems with Max the dog and now they are putting a vital and important cat rescue at risk of closing."
In a letter to Rescue Cat NI the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council said: "It appears to the council that this constitutes a breach of planning control under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and should be remedied without delay. Accordingly, you are required to remedy the breach within the timescales as detailed above.
"The Council wishes to emphasise that unless you remedy the breach of planning control outlined above, an enforcement notice under section 138 of the above act may be served on you requiring you to remedy the breach.
"Failure to comply with an enforcement notice which has come into effect within the period specified in the notice for the compliance is an offence. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable on conviction to a fine."
The Council letter states that the 'remedial action' is to 'remove buildings'.
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