A group opposing a chicken waste incinerator being built on the shores of Lough Neagh has been granted leave for a judicial review of the decision not to hold a public inquiry into the planning application.
Last month, Environment Minister Edwin Poots, announced his intention to approve planning for the incinerator, saying it would create up to 400 construction jobs and 30 permanent positions. However, Chairman of the Campaign Against Lough Neagh Incinerator group (CALNI), Ray Clarke, said the proposed Moy Park incinerator would probably need about £30m in grant aid from the Executive's industrial development agency, Invest NI.
The proposed incinerator site also lies within an Area of High Scenic Value and is adjacent to a European Special Protected Area of Special Scientific Interest.
A proposed inquiry into the plan was withdrawn at the last minute by Sinn Féin after the DUP submitted a petition of concern. CALNI president, Danny Moore accused the DUP, which hold the majority of Unionist votes, of turning the issue into a sectarian debate.
Rose Energy, the company behind the proposal, say the biomass burner will produce 30 mega-watts of electricity by incinerating 260,000 tonnes of chicken waste per year. As a result, it will generate one third of Northern Ireland's target for green energy, as well as providing a significant economic boost for the local area.
