Objections outlined as outer bypass hearing opens
Date Published: 02-Jul-2009
he State will tell the Commercial Court today (Thursday) why it believes a decision of An Bord Pleanala granting approval for the €317 million Galway city bypass road project is invalid.Lawyers for the State are expected to begin their submissions today in the continuing hearing of separate challenges by environmentalist Peter Sweetman and Hands Across the Corrib Ltd to the Board's decision of November 2008.When the case opened on Tuesday, Mr Justice George Birmingham was told the Board approved the bypass after finding its impact on the Lough Corrib Candidate Special Area of Conservation site, while "locally severe"", would not adversely affect the "integrity" of the site.But Paul O'Higgins SC – representing environmental campaigner Peter Sweetman – said that the Board's decision was akin to saying, if we have a lot of early Church stained glass in Ireland, it does not...