But how long has that perma-wall been there? Since the game's launch?
Doesn't matter. ED isn't like other MMO's where they can add extra bits of map. LOTRO is just doing this, there is an area between Evendim, Bree and North downs that was surrounded by mountains, there was really no reason for it not being traversable, except the landscape for that area was never made when they made the other areas, so it became a triangle of mountains surrounding what should be an area of forest. In regular MMO's this is how they add extra content, they just add new landscape and flatten some mountains to make a path in, even if it's 20 years after the game launched. There are gates in funny places in LOTRO that have been there for 10+ years, where you can see past them but can't go there because that area hasn't been developed.
FDEV's problem is the entire galaxy has to be generated at once, so all the landscape is already there, including all the areas where they have future content planned for years down the track, the permit lock is FDEV's version of impassable mountain walls in LOTRO, they are there for a reason, and that's because if they want to add future content with the illusion this content has been there for thousands of years then they have to reserve the areas where this content is planned to be added otherwise the entire thing looks silly to the players who have already been into and thoroughly explored those areas.