A KILCOO solicitor has said that the granting of leave to judicially review approval for a proposed Newry civic hub is “a significant development in climate and planning law in Northern Ireland”.
Ciarán O’Hare, of McIvor Farrell Solicitors in Belfast, took the legal challenge to the controversial multimillion-pound council project – on behalf of his client and Newry resident, Paul Lennon – to the High Court, where it was recently given permission to proceed to a full hearing at a later date.
The lawyer said that the challenge centres on “whether the council properly considered its obligations arising from the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and the Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 when granting planning permission for the major development”.
“This is a significant development in climate and planning law in Northern Ireland,” he continued.
“The court has recognised that there is a serious issue to be tried, regarding the legal effect of Northern Ireland’s climate legislation and how public authorities must take climate obligations into account when making major planning decisions.”
Mr O’Hare, who is originally from Atticall, added that he believes that this will “be one of the first judicial review challenges in Northern Ireland to proceed on grounds directly concerning the interpretation and practical effect of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and the associated reporting regulations”.
“The case raises important questions about whether public bodies can simply acknowledge climate change obligations in principle, or whether they must actively assess and take account of carbon emissions and climate impacts when making major planning decisions,” he stressed.
“The outcome of this case has the potential to provide important guidance for councils and other public authorities across Northern Ireland when exercising their planning and decision-making functions in the years ahead.
“My client welcomes the court’s decision and looks forward to presenting the full arguments at the substantive hearing.”
Approval for the Abbey Way civic hub, which the council estimates will cost £17m, was approved by the local authority’s Planning Committee in August 2025.
Over 2,600 objections to the development were submitted, with many raising concerns about the development’s proximity to Newry Cathedral.
