125 Sathorn’s EIA revoked by Central Administrative Court
The Central Administrative Court has axed yet another high-profile condominium mid-construction.
The Central Administrative Court on September 27, retroactively revoked the EIA approval and building construction permit of the 125 Sathorn project on South Sathorn Road.
The case was brought by The Met Condominium Juristic Person representing the co-owners of The Met Condominium (which is situated on an adjoining plot of land).
Chidchanok Lertumponpaisal, as The Met CJP, explained that “The Met filed its case against several government agencies for approving 125 Sathorn’s EIA and building construction permit.”
The Met argued that when its developer Pebble Bay Thailand owned the entire 10 rai block of land, it was split into two plots in 2004 — 7 rai for The Met’s construction and the 3 rai (site of 125 Sathorn) now owned by PMT Property Company Limited — a joint venture company of Thoresen Thai Agencies Public Company Limited and its Japanese partners Kanden Realty & Development Company Limited and Toray Construction Company Limited.
As both plots of land are recorded on The Met’s building permit, the entire 10 rai has been utilized to build The Met’s large-scale condo.
The Met argued that 125 Sathorn’s proposed building design is over its allowable building area size, after deducting The Met’s building area from the 10 rai of land.
This latest decision from the Central Administrative Court follows its earlier high-profile decisions, such as the Ashton Asoke case, which demonstrate that the Court is looking more closely at the growing concerns and heightened proactive legal action of several existing surrounding communities in danger of being engulfed by massive new construction projects.
The Central Administrative Court has demonstrated its resolve in applying the law and legal principles in the 125 Sathorn case by retroactively revoking its EIA approval and building construction permit.
It is time for the regulators to put into place legal mechanisms that better support the rights of existing communities so that their need to resort to legal action becomes the exception rather than the norm.
