A5: Judge's ruling to overturn road project is a 'vindication' of landowners’ 16-year fight
A lawyer for one of the groups which was opposed to the A5 project has hailed the “tenacity” of the farmers and landowners involved, saying a court decision to quash the project is a “vindication” of their long fight.
Ciaran O’Hare for the group Alternative A5 Alliance, which brought the legal challenge, was among those reacting to the seismic judgment in Belfast yesterday, effectively halting the huge dual carriageway project.
Meanwhile, concerns were also raised about a key piece of the reasoning given by the judge in his decision: namely, that the A5 project is incompatible with the CO2-slashing targets set by Stormont’s Climate Change Act 2022.
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Jim Allister, the TUV leader, said the judgment shows how the climate act has “tied the government’s hands behind its back”, adding that “the same principle will apply” to other big projects.
He also suggested that many of those now lamenting the judgment had themselves been advocates of that same Climate Change Act.
UUP peer Lord Elliott issued a statement saying that “farmers and landowners along the proposed A5 should be immediately compensated for the emotional damage that has been initiated to them personally” by the scheme.
Meanwhile, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said the news will be a blow to some, “particularly the families who have tragically lost loved ones on this road”.
She added: “What is most concerning now is the uncertainty this judgment creates – not just for grieving families and road safety campaigners, but also for local farmers, landowners and the wider community.”
Speaking outside court, solicitor Mr O’Hare said it was a “truly remarkable day” for his clients.
“One has to applaud the tenacity,” he said, adding “they’ve battled tirelessly for 16 years and now their sustained efforts have been vindicated”.