Pylon pressure group loses action against EirGrid

An action aimed at halting an oral hearing for EirGrid’s application to erect approximately 300 pylons as part of the proposed North-South electricity interconnector has been dismissed by the High Court.

The challenge was brought by the North East Pylon Pressure Campaign (NEPPC), which represents almost 200 landowners in counties Cavan, Meath, and Monaghan.

The group opposes the pylons claiming they pose health risks to communities and will damage the environment.

In his judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys refused to grant the group permission to bring the challenge against An Bord Pleanála’s decision to hold an oral hearing as part of the process concerning Eirgird’s application to erect the pylons, which commenced in March in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

The group has also challenged the validity of the North-South 400kv Interconnector application submitted by EirGrid in June 2015.

An Bord Pleanála and EirGrid, a notice party to the proceedings, opposed the group’s challenge. The challenge was brought shortly before the oral hearing was due to commence on March 7.

In a preliminary ruling Mr Justice Humphreys refused to grant the group an injunction preventing that hearing from proceedings until the High Court challenge had been heard.

Mr Justice Humphrey’s processes, like the oral hearing at the centre of the challenge, should be allowed proceed to their conclusion. Judicial review proceedings should only be sought if parties are dissatisfied with the final result.

The judge said if all intermediate steps in a process were subjected to challenges then “the stage would be set” for “enormous disruption”.

No benefit to the public interest could be served by “unnecessary multiplication” of judicial reviews, he added.

He said his decision did not prejudice the group from including any matters raised in the application in any challenge it may bring should the board decide to grant planning permission for the pylons.

The court heard EirGrid had applied for permission to build the pylons to the planning appeals board under strategic infrastructure development (SID) legislation.

In its action, the group claimed there are difficulties which render the application invalid on grounds including there are difficulties with the application’s environmental impact and natura impact statements and the application does not comply with planning and development legislation.