Council’s £400,000 bill for goldmine inquiry fees prompts concern

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council (FODC) is coming under fire over claims that it has not properly informed councillors about an allocation of £400,000 for legal representation at the forthcoming Public Inquiry into plans for a goldmine and processing plant in Greencastle.

The council is being legally represented at the inquiry into the major application by Dalradian Gold Limited, which is due to begin in September.

A council spokesperson said the local authority had ‘significant concerns’ in relation to the proposed development, and subsequently had a long-established position to oppose the goldmine project.

But one local councillor has expressed concern over the amount of money which has been set aside for legal fees associated with the inquiry.

Ulster Unionist councillor, Mark Ovens, further claimed he only became aware of the £400,000 allocation through contacting council officials.

He maintained that the council should have undergone a procurement process to decide on which firm should be appointed to provide the legal representation.

He raised the issue at a meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources meeting last week.

“The £400,000 figure is around one per-cent of the total amount we receive from ratepayers annually.

“In my view, this amount has been agreed without proper oversight from elected members,” he said.

‘Substantial’

“There should have been a procurement process for agreeing such a substantial amount of money. I am currently still trying to find out where this allocation is contained within the council’s expenditure estimates for this year.”

However, FODC has said that all actions undertaken by officers were ‘fully compliant’ with all appropriate procedures.

In a statement, a spokesperson said that the council’s legal fees for representation would be ‘charged’ to the budget of £300,000 for 2024-25, and £100,000 for the 2023-24 financial year.

They added that the council had made provision within the Corporate Management budget to cover anticipated representation costs at the Public Inquiry, based on estimates provided to the council.

“Discussions are currently ongoing between the council and its lead consultant, RSK/Gleeds. These discussions relate to the scope of services and suggested approach at the Public Inquiry,” the spokesperson added.