A5 ruling: Judgment ‘shows folly of Climate Change Act’
The leader of the TUV has said that the judgment shows how “foolish” it was of MLAs to back the Climate Change Act in 2022 – with many of the act’s supporters being champions of the A5 project.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Alternative A5 Alliance, representing farmers and landholders opposed to the proposed route, praised the “tenacity” of his clients.
The A5 runs from the Co Tyrone border village of Aughnacloy in the south to Londonderry city in the north, via the Ballygawley Roundabout, Omagh, and Strabane.
It is an accident blackspot, and plans have been in motion since 2007 to essentially replace the road with a dual carriageway.
The judgment is the third time that the High Court has halted the project.
On this occasion, one of the judge’s central points was that the scheme is “non-compliant with the duty imposed by” the Climate Change Act 2022, which committed the government to hitting targets to reduce CO2 emissions.
Jim Allister MP said: “My message to those politicians who will be disappointed by this decision is they should have thought twice before they foolishly voted for the Climate Change Act.
“The very people who are shouting the loudest about the A5 were amongst the MLAs and politicians who were most enthusiastic in forcing through the Climate Change Act. Now it’s come back to bite them.
“I think it raises fundamental questions, and what it really points up is the absolute folly of the statutory provisions in the Climate Change Act. It’s tied the government’s hands behind its back on this one – and the same principle will apply to others.”
Alternative A5 Alliance solicitor Ciaran O’Hare said it was a “truly remarkable day” for his clients.
He said: “One has to applaud the tenacity of the Alternative A5 Alliance.
“They have battled tirelessly for 16 years and now their sustained efforts have been vindicated in court.”
The lawyer added: “I must make clear that my clients have never disregarded the safety concerns on the current A5 road.
“My clients have always argued that the current A5 road should be upgraded to minimise the adverse actions on our land.”