Meeting tonight to discuss latest legal battle over A5 road

A PUBLIC meeting will take place tonight (Thursday) at 7.30pm in Canavan’s of Garvaghey to update the local community on the latest developments in the ongoing legal challenge to the A5 dual carriageway project.

Organised by the Tyrone GAA ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign, the meeting is open to all members of the GAA community, as well as residents and supporters impacted by the proposed £1.2 billion road between Ballygawley and Newbuildings.

The meeting comes ahead of the resumption of the judicial review hearing in Belfast, where the Alternative A5 Alliance, consisting of nine applicants, is challenging the road’s construction on multiple grounds.

Concerns include potential environmental damage and alleged breaches of human rights.

However, the Department for Infrastructure has defended the project, stating that measures have been put in place to ensure compliance with climate change targets.

A key focus of the meeting will be testimony from families who have lost loved ones in fatal road traffic collisions, with the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign planning to present this powerful evidence as part of their case.

Niall McKenna, chair of ‘Enough is Enough’, is encouraging people to attend tonight’s meeting to get a full update on the High Court case. “This meeting is for families, friends, neighbours and the wider community to stay informed about the current situation and the ongoing legal proceedings,” he said.

The A5 project, which has already seen challenges in 2013 and 2017, is now at a crucial stage. Mr Justice McAlinden, who is overseeing the hearings, has indicated that he wants to make a swift decision, but will allow time for submissions from all parties involved.