UK Supreme Court rejects Stormont bid to overturn Larne Lough Gas Caverns ruling

The UK Supreme Court has refused the Northern Ireland Executive's bid to overturn our top judge's decision on Larne Lough Gas Caverns.

Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan ruled against former DAERA Minister Edwin Poots' decision to give the project a marine licence following a protracted legal battle that saw a Co Antrim community go head-to-head with government.

Harland & Wolff subsidiary, Islandmagee Energy, wanted to hollow out seven huge caverns under the specially protected lough to store fossil fuel gas and pump the resulting brine into the sea, which would have created a biodiversity dead zone according to their own environmental assessment.

READ MORE: Co Antrim community to fight Supreme Court bid to overturn gas caverns ruling

READ MORE: Court of Appeal rules Edwin Poots' gas caverns decision was 'irrational'

NI's Court of Appeal said the project required consideration by all ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive and "that approving the project had the effect of potentially locking in fossil fuel dependency for 40 years to come which was of obvious significance to a climate policy directed at net zero by 2050".

The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs escalated it to the Supreme Court in July after conferring with the Executive because it meant decisions on fossil fuel developments that contradicted climate change commitments can't be taken by a lone minister and must be approved by the whole Executive.

No Gas Caverns and Friends of the Earth NI were supported in their fight against the controversial plans for fossil fuel storage under Larne Lough by the PILS Project - Public Interest Litigation Support Northern Ireland - and had vowed to continue the fight at the Supreme Court.

But now three Supreme Court judges have refused DAERA’s application for permission to appeal "because the applications do not raise any arguable points of law".

Lord Briggs, Lord Burrows and Lord Stephens also ordered that "the costs of and occasioned by resisting the applications for permission to appeal be paid by the Appellants to the Respondents".

Lisa Dobbie from the group, No Gas Caverns, said the "announcement underscores the power of communities to affect change".

She added: "The people of Islandmagee love the place where they live. Ordinary people had to take extraordinary steps to protect people, place and planet. We hope that this provides inspiration for all those who wish to take a stand.

"A huge thank you to all that have supported this legal challenge."

James Orr, Director of Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland said: "This decision shows the world what can happen when determined campaigners come together and a community stands up for what’s right.

"This case is a huge step forward for climate justice, for cleaner energy and for the protection of nature."

DAERA has been contacted for comment.

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