Senior judges previously ruled that Edwin Poots acted irrationally in giving the go-ahead for plans to construct caverns under Larne Lough without referring the project to the Executive Committee. But Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan confirmed his decision will now be legally invalid and the development proposals sent back for reconsideration by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Jubilant campaigners declared the outcome a complete vindication for their opposition to the scheme. James Orr, director of Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland , said outside court: “This is a seismic day for decision making on the environment and our climate here.” In 2021 Mr Poots gave consent for the scheme by Islandmagee Energy Ltd.
Plans involved carving seven large underground caverns at a depth 1,350m below sea level by a process known as solution mining. Advertisement Advertisement Located within special protection and conservation areas, the project was expected to last for 40 years. The units would then be decommissioned at the end of their lifespan.
Local campaign group No Gas Caverns and Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland mounted legal action in a bid to have the marine licence permit quashed. They claimed it would keep Northern Ireland tied to fossil fuel dependency for decades beyond a t.
