An Bord Pleanala won’t oppose data centre appeal

AN Bord Pleanála have told the High Court it will not oppose an appeal to the decision to grant planning permission for a €1.2 billion data centre campus on the outskirts of Ennis.

Two groups, Friends of the Irish Environment and Futureproof Clare have banded together with three Ennis residents seeking a judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission for the development proposed by Art Data Centres Ltd and given the green light by An Bord Pleanála last April.

This week it was confirmed that the planning board is no longer opposing the action and the court has been asked for an an adjournment for the developers to consider their response.

The court was informed the board would not be opposing the applicant’s claim to quash the planning decision having regard to the circumstances of the case particularly pleas advanced that “the Board erred in law in failing to consider adequately the environmental effects of the proposed developments on the environment, specifically in terms of impacts on bat fauna for thepurposes of the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Board.”