Infrastructure minister to appeal High Court's A5 scheme ruling

Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister, Liz Kimmins, has confirmed that the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) will appeal the High Court ruling that stymied the A5 upgrade project.

The most recent iteration of the project was approved in October of last year, but in June the High Court in Belfast ruled that the £1.7bn safety upgrades could not proceed in its current form following a legal appeal from climate activist group Alternative A5 Alliance.

The group opposed the project due to concerns that it does not meet the climate change targets that were set by Northern Ireland ministers.

Justice McAlinden found that the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) plans didn’t comply with climate change targets set down by Northern Ireland ministers at Stormont.

He added that there was an ‘inadequacy of information for the purpose of lawful decision making’, saying that this is why the DfI’s approval of the scheme ‘cannot stand’.

Ms Kimmins said: ‘There is too much at stake for us not to appeal the recent court judgement about this regionally significant infrastructure project. I am prepared to do everything within my power to save lives on this stretch of road. The people of this area have suffered enough and with them in mind we are lodging this appeal. 

‘This project has the backing of the Executive and the Irish Government. It is a complex matter which has seen many years of hard work and collaboration to get it to this point. My officials have been working very hard to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that we submit a robust appeal to the court. I am determined that this road will be built.'

Image credit: Shutterstock @Gordon Dunn