The PAC/WAC has decided to cojoin the hearings alongside the planning applications relating to the proposal. Please refer to the Planning Appeals Commission for the procedures and updates relating to the Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian) Public Inquiry.
A pre-inquiry hearing was held on 20th March 2024.
Subsequent to the pre-hearing the PAC/WAC has determined that the 2 Abstraction and Impoundment Licence applications have been deemed refused under Regulation 19 of the Abstraction and Impoundment Licensing Regulations 2006 As Amended. The Department agrees with the PAC/WAC determination. The Abstraction and Impoundment Licence Applications AIL2020/0150 and AIL2020/0160 have therefore been removed from the conjoined Public Local Inquiry.
Click here for the Department’s letter to the commission on this aspect.
On the 24th April 2024 Dalradian Gold Ltd submitted two applications for the same abstraction and impoundment proposals. See the following link to access the applications:
Applications for Abstraction and Impoundment Advertisement Requirement | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk)
Minister Muir agreed that it was in the Public Interest that the PAC should hold a public local inquiry on the new applications. The Department has, therefore directed the Appeals Commission under Regulation 17(1) of the Abstraction and Impoundment Regulations 2006, on 2nd May 2024 to hold a public local inquiry to consider representations in respect of the applications submitted on the 24th April 2020. The Department has asked the Appeals Commission to consider conjoining these applications with the cases already before them in the Curraghinalt Public Inquiry, in a letter also sent on the 2nd May 2024.
The Appeals Commission has responded on 2nd May 2024 with a letter, published on their website at:
2024/05/01 Letter to Referring Authorities | pacni.gov.uk
The Department has responded to this letter as below on the 3rd May:
NIEA Response to PAC/WAC Letters of 2 - 3 May 2024
The Department is in the process of addressing the requests for information in the Appeals Commission letter and awaits further advice from PAC on the proposed timetable for the Inquiry.
See summary of the public representations received in relation to the above applications below:
- Summary of representations received in relation to consent applications (TrC 80/20 and TrC 81/20)
- Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications ( AIL/2020/0105 and Licence AIL 2020/0106)
In addition, please see key documents which are relevant to the inquiry:
- Condition assessment for Northern Ireland’s Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera Margaritifera population Horton, M., Bell, D., Keys, A. & Mitchell, F. (2018) . Report prepared by Ballinderry Rivers Trust for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
- Owenkillew and Owenreagh Freshwater Pearl Mussel Survey data Ballinderry Rivers Trust 2021-2022
- Investigative Electro-Fishing Survey on Curraghinalt Burn and Pollanroe Burn. Loughs Agency for Northern Ireland Environment Agency, 2021
- Deemed Refused Applications AIL 2020/0105 and AIL 2020/0106
At the Pre-Inquiry meeting the Commissioner requested additional supporting information in relation to the consent to discharge for exploration site (consent reference TC 40/12). Please refer to the Planning Appeals Commission in relation to the Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian) | pacni.gov.uk Public Inquiry for the documents shared with the PAC/WAC.