A Cork city community association has brought a High Court challenge over An Bord Pleanála’s permission for certain flood relief works in the city. The group’s core claim is that the permission involves impermissible “project splitting” within the meaning of the EIA Directive. The association says the disputed works are just one part of the overall proposed flood relief scheme for Cork city, the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLRFS), that the overall scheme is subject to an EIA procedure, which has not completed, and permission for the disputed works cannot be granted until the EIA procedure is complete. The Board was obliged, but failed, to consider the proposed works as part of the overall scheme, it is claimed. This was particularly the case where the proposed works include flood relief measures which, when constructed, will be at the exact same height as, and will be fully integrated, with the overall scheme.

Source: The Irish Times November 12, 2020 14:48 UTC