Legal action launched against EngineNode data center in County Meath over environmental concerns

A High Court challenge has been launched against An Bord Pleanala over its decision to give EngineNode's data center the green light in County Meath, Ireland. Planning permission for the 180MW data center campus was granted back in July, despite a wave of opposition from locals and environmentalists.

An Taisce and Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) had previously tried to challenge the approval, but their challenges were dismissed. Now, Mannix Coyne and Amy Coyne, both residents in Bracetown, Clonee, have launched a legal challenge against the decision, which Justice Garrett Simons has given the go-ahead. Justice Simons outlined that the case raised important points of domestic and EU law.

The appellants, Represented by barrister Jon Kenny Bl, argue that the data center approval contravenes:

The 2000 Planning and Development Act,
The 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act,
The EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessments, and;
The EU Habitats Directive

Further to this, the argument against the development project outlines that if constructed, the campus will require huge amounts of energy each year, amounting to 180 megawatts of electricity. Regarding emissions, the appellants claim it will generate around 1% of Ireland's total annual carbon dioxide emissions. This, the appellants argue, breaches their constitutional right to life, bodily integrity and right to a healthy environment, and the board did not sufficiently consider the environmental impact of the approving planning permission for the project.

Moreover, the case will also challenge the lack of rigor applied by the board when reviewing planning permission after a substantial change to the original proposal was made. This change involved the removal of an energy center which was included within EngineNode's original proposal.

As part of the legal challenge, their counsel will outline that the project will also result in a loss of convenience, privacy and cause serious harm to the equine business the appellants run.

In related proceedings, the pair are also challenging the board's decision to permit substation and grid connection works relating to the data center project.

Justice Simons has put a stay in place, preventing any work on the site before the matter is resolved.