Mallon formally requests Public Inquiry to be held for Dalradian Gold Mine project

Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon is to formally request that the Planning Appeals Commission (‘the Commission’) hold a Public Inquiry into the Dalradian Gold Mine project.

Minister Mallon said: 

‘’In June 2020 I announced that the Dalradian Gold Mine project at Greencastle, County Tyrone would be the subject of an independent Public Inquiry. I am now satisfied that sufficient detail, consultee responses and representations have been provided to allow for robust scrutiny of the application in a public forum and that we should move as soon as practicable to the Public Inquiry phase in processing this application.

“I have therefore directed that my officials formally request a Public Inquiry to be held by the Commission. The Inquiry will consider a number of related applications including the gold mine minerals planning application and the two associated powerline applications. It will also consider the proposed abandonment of the Crockanboy Road, known locally as the ‘Green Road’. 

“The handling of the Public Inquiry phase will be a matter for the Commission which will include providing all parties with the arrangements.

Once the inquiry is completed I will carefully consider the findings of the Inquiry before reaching a decision.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The planning application for the Dalradian Gold Mine project at Greencastle, County Tyrone was submitted to the Department in November 2017.
2. The application has proved to be complex and controversial and in excess of 40,000 representations have now been submitted about the mine proposal. The planning application includes an assessment by a wide range of expertise of in-depth information on the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts.
3. The application was revised in 2019 with the main changes including the relocation underground of the primary crusher building with an extended conveyor system, provision of new ore sorting machinery, a modification of the haul route, removal of cyanide from any part of the processing of the ore and changes to extraction and processing quantities. The amended proposal also results in the transport of concentrated material off-site for export rather than final on-site processing.
4. In addition to the main gold mine planning application the Department called in two powerline applications from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Derry and Strabane District Council in December 2019. These applications in combination provide the electricity supply to the proposed mine. The powerline extends for some 37 kilometres across the two Council areas, mostly through the Sperrin Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Department considers that, as they are inextricably linked to the gold mine project, they should also form part of the Public Inquiry.
5. The proposed mine surface development would require the abandonment of a rural road Crockanboy Road aka the ‘Green Road’, at the request of the applicant, Dalradian Gold Ltd., under the Roads (NI) Order 1993.
6. A road abandonment process is distinct from a planning application and operates under differing legislation. The abandonment is necessary to enable the surface mine operations to proceed and the planning application includes provision for the construction of an alternative road.
7. Significant objections have been received to the abandonment proposal and the Department considers that they should also form part of the Public Inquiry with the planning applications.
8. The mine project also requires separate consent for water discharge and abstraction and there are currently four consent/abstraction licence applications with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for determination. NIEA are responsible for regulating water discharges and water abstractions that may impact upon the natural environment. NIEA determine applications to discharge in accordance with the Water (NI) Order 1999. Applications for water abstractions are determined in accordance with the Water Abstraction and Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006. It is anticipated that the four consent/abstraction licence applications will be submitted by NIEA to the PAC and that they will also be considered as part of the Inquiry process.
9. The precise arrangements will now be a matter for the Planning Appeals Commission Park House, 87-91 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7AG, Tel: 028 9024 4710, Email: info@pacni.gov.uk
10. During office hours (Monday to Friday, 0800hrs to1800hrs) media enquiries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk   
11. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hour’s service for media enquiries ONLY between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
12. Follow the Department on Twitter @deptinfra and on Facebook @DepartmentforInfrastructure

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