Ian Lumley (born 1958) is an Irish conservationist, who has notably served with
An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland over an extended period, principally as its heritage officer, and latterly as one of its three senior managers, as head of advocacy.
Early life
Ian Lumley was born in
Waterford
Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
in 1958.
Conservation work
Lumley was a volunteer with
An Taisce
An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland (; "An Taisce" meaning "the store" or "the treasury"), established on a provisional basis in September 1946, and incorporated as a company based on an “association not for profit” in June 1948, is ...
for many years before becoming its heritage officer around 2000,
and in 2023 taking up the new post on a rationalised senior management team of three, as "head of advocacy", overseeing the organisation's work on planning and policy.
Described in the Irish Times as "one of Ireland's most courageous guardians of the built and natural environment",
Lumley has focused his approach on using legal tools and processes to address developments of concern.
Lumley has also worked as director of projects with the
Dublin Civic Trust and held a senior role with the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust in London.
Much of Lumley's work, even in formal roles, has been unpaid.
Court cases
In January 2005, Lumley was barred from acting as a director of a number of companies for five years, after a
High Court hearing into the liquidation of a limited company he co-founded to campaign on environmental issues.
In April 2019, Lumley lost an appeal to
An Bord Pleanála
(; meaning "The Planning Board"; ABP) is an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in Ireland. As of 2007, An Bord Pleanála directly decided major strategic infra ...
on plans to extend the number of
Airbnb
Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...
-style studio lettings at his Georgian property in Dublin. This followed the refusal of planning permission to Lumley and builder Patrick Wigglesworth to convert the lower ground floor of their property at 3 Henrietta Street into three short-term-lease studio apartments.
[
In January 2023, Lumley was sued in the High Court by one of his tenants, Luke Barnett, alleging that he was threatened with eviction.][
]
Personal life
In 1982, Lumley purchased a house on Henrietta Street in Dublin, a street of substantially intact Georgian buildings, and worked on its restoration over many years. His kitchen was used as a television scene in the series ''Penny Dreadful''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lumley, Ian
Living people
People from Waterford (city)
1958 births
Irish conservationists