A High Court judge has dismissed An Taisce’s leave to appeal an application in relation to the granting of planning permission for the building of a cheese plant by Glanbia at its Belview premises in Co. Kilkenny.

In a High Court Judicial Review document examining the case between An Taisce and An Bord Pleanála, the Department of Climate Action and the Environment and the Attorney General, the judgment was made this morning (Friday, July 2).

In the 36-point judgment, an application for judicial review of a planning permission for the proposed cheese manufacturing facility was dismissed by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys, who outlined his reasoning behind the decision.

“The reason the applicant isn’t succeeding here is not because this procedure could be questioned but because the application hasn’t met the existing tests for the procedure,” Mr Justice Humphreys said in his judgement.

Back in May, An Taisce confirmed its intention to seek leave to appeal the recent decision of the High Court dismissing its challenge against the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for the development of a cheese processing plant. 

On April 20, Glanbia Ireland was given the green light by An Bord Pleanála to progress with its cheese manufacturing facility at its Belview site in a decision made by the High Court.

The Belview plant had been approved for planning permission by Kilkenny County Council in November 2019.

Following an appeal by An Taisce against that decision, An Bord Pleanála granted final permission on June 30, 2020.

An Taisce then sought a Judicial Review of that decision.