APPLICANTS seeking a judicial review to the proposed Ennis Data Centre will present their case before the High Court on Monday.
In April, An Bord Pleanála approved plans for a new 200MW €1.2 billion data centre campus on the outskirts of Ennis.
The Ennis data centre campus is to comprise six data halls covering 145 acres or 1.3 million sq ft on lands adjacent to the Tulla Road on the eastern outskirts of Ennis near Junction 13 on the M18 motorway connecting Galway to Limerick.
Developers, Art Data Centres Ltd said that the project will create between 400- 450 permanent jobs when the data centre campus is fully operational with up to 1,200 jobs in construction. These figures have been disputed by opponents to the development.
Construction work on the scheme is to take six years. The planned Ennis data centre has been moving for six years through various stages including strategic site assessment, zoning and planning.
Friends of the Irish Environment and Futureproof Clare are among the applicants seeking a judicial review. The grounds for the application will be presented to the High Court on June 10th.
Sinéad Sheehan of Futureproof Clare stated, “The Ennis Data Centre is proposed to be built in an area of international importance for biodiversity. The area has a small pond, lots of native trees and a thriving ecosystem. Moreover the proposed facility could use as much water as a million homes. This can put undue pressure on the water supply to residential homes. We don’t believe this development is in the best interests of the people in Clare – it isn’t of economic value to the ordinary citizen, and it makes a mockery of already unattainable emissions targets. A 120MW gas plant on the outskirts of Ennis town could be a health risk”.
She added, “The Ennis Data Centre is proposed to be built in an area of significant importance for biodiversity. The area is home to a variety of important species whose lives will be greatly endangered if this data centre is developed”.
Christine Sharp who is also part of the group undertaking the review, commented, “Ennis residents have to suffer the worst quality of air in the country because of high levels of particulate matter, while industries in the Shannon Estuary continue to pollute and even seek to expand. The introduction of an additional methane gas source will counter any hopes of improving air quality and people’s health in this low lying area”.
Local election candidate, Bridget Ginnity (GP) commended the persons involved for trying to overturn the decision made by both Clare County Council and An Bord Pleanála. “The twenty month delay so far is equivalent to 250,000 flights to Sydney in terms of carbon emissions. I’m hopeful that this legal challenge will not only give more savings due to delays, but quash the proposal entirely until we have additional renewable energy to power a data centre. I’m very grateful to the organisations and individuals who have taken this further”.
