Posted on February 26, 2018
By Conor Macauley, BBC News
Environmentalists are returning to court in an attempt to overturn a decision to allow unauthorised sand dredging in Lough Neagh.
In November the permanent secretary of the Department for Infrastructure decided it could continue.
He had been ordered to review the practice after Friends of the Earth won a case challenging the practice.
The lough is an important protected bird sanctuary with EU protection.
‘Vindicated by the Court of Appeal’
The department decided it was “not expedient” to halt the work but imposed conditions on the five companies involved.
It said the decision was based on up to date environmental information.
The permanent secretary took the decision in the absence of a devolved minister due to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Friends of the Earth oppose the dredging because permission has not been granted and because they believe it could damage the protected site.
It is seeking a judicial review of the decision to let it continue.
Spokesman James Orr said the lough should not be exploited as another “commodity”.
“We were vindicated by the Court of Appeal ruling last year that the department’s continuing failure to act to protect this special nature reserve is unlawful.
“By allowing the extraction of 1.5m tons of sand without planning permission and proper assessments the department is backing down from giving legal protection for these special places.”
Ecological importance
The authorities are to hold a public inquiry to consider a planning application by the dredging companies for a further 15 years of extraction.
Separate enforcement proceedings against the sand traders for previous unauthorised extraction will now also be dealt with at the public inquiry
The Planning Appeals Commission will then provide an advisory report to the department which will make the final decision on the planning application.
The sand industry says it sustains around 150 direct jobs.
It concentrates activities in the north west corner of the lough.
Source: BBC News
