Date set for appeal against incinerator planning ruling

Earlier this month, Mrs Justice Keegan backed claims that a senior civil servant did not have legal power to give the green light for the major waste disposal facility at Hightown Quarry in Mallusk following the collapse of devolution.

In September last year, the Department for Infrastructure said it was in the public interest for the waste management system to be built, describing it as being of strategic importance for the Province.

The decision to grant planning approval came months after the Stormont Executive collapsed in January 2017.

Judicial review proceedings were issued by Colin Buick, the chairperson of a community group named ‘NoArc21’, who are opposed to the project.

Following the High Court ruling, the Department of Infrastructure announced their intention to appeal.

On May 16, a spokesperson for the department said: “The department is seeking clarity on the law in this case and in relation to decision making on other regionally significant planning applications. While the appeal process is under way, the department will not take any further decisions on regionally significant applications and continues to carefully consider the full implications of the judgment on other planning cases.”

The Notice of Appeal was lodged on May 21 and the case has been listed for hearing on June 25.