Banning vape shops in Ireland will simply mean more dereliction, a town planner has predicted. 

In recent weeks, there have been calls for the Government to allow local authorities to restrict the proliferation of vape shops, amid concerns about the health impact of e-cigarettes. 

On Lunchtime Live, Derek White said it would be easy for the Government to stop more vape shops from opening. 

“The simplest way of doing it would be to bring in a statutory instrument, an SI, very similar to the ones brought in recently for auxiliary dwellings in the rear gardens," he explained. 

“That would be the easiest way for a tea shop to start this process, going to remove vape shops in a town or an area.” 

However, Mr White warned that making it harder for more vape shops to open would not be a panacea. 

“It will lead to dereliction on most streets by removing vape shops,” he predicted. 

“Vape shops are there because people use vape shops and by putting the problem at the foot of the planning authorities to say we shouldn't give planning for them, we'll only create more problems. 

“This is a public health issue, not a planning issue.”

Main image: A vape shop window. Picture by: Peter Dazeley / Alamy.com.