DUP MLA: “There must now be urgent clarity from the Department.”

INFRASTRUCTURE Minister Liz Kimmins has described a court ruling which will further delay plans for a new A5 road as ‘extremely disappointing’.

Last October, Stormont ministers approved the long-awaited A5 road upgrade project, including a full dual carriageway, between Derry and Aughnacloy.

However, the Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A) took a case to the High Court in Belfast against the proposed new road.

They argued that the current A5 should be upgraded, instead of a new road being constructed.

At the High Court today, a judge ruled against the decision to allow the new road to go ahead as planned.

Mr Justice McAlinden said he had made the decision on human rights grounds and climate change regulations.

It means that the new £1.2 billion road will not now be going ahead as planned.

Speaking outside the court, the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins says: “Obviously this is an extremely disappointing day.”

She highlighted the families who have lost loved ones on the A5.

“No doubt this will be heartbreaking for each and every one of them but their campaign will hopefully not go unnoticed and I think the judge today has paid tribute to that.”

West Tyrone SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said: “Since the A5 was first announced in 2006 as a flagship Executive project, more than 50 people have lost their lives on this road, with thousands more seriously injured or left with life-altering injuries.

“No part of this road is safe — every single section has claimed lives. And every day that passes without progress puts more people at risk.

“The new A5 is absolutely essential for public safety, and the Minister must fight tooth and nail to deliver this.

“Today’s ruling is a bitter disappointment for bereaved families and campaigners. But it must not be used as an excuse to shelve this project.

“The Department and the Executive must urgently take whatever steps are necessary to address the legal issues and finally deliver this road.

“Delay costs lives — and West Tyrone cannot afford to wait any longer.”

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine, who is chair of the Infrastructure Committee at Stormont and MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, said today’s ruling will be ‘a deep disappointment’ to many campaigners who have long supported the A5 scheme.

“I have consistently backed the need for this vital infrastructure project, but it must be recognised that the handling of the scheme from the outset has been deeply flawed by DfI.

“What is most concerning now is the uncertainty this judgment creates – not just for grieving families and road safety campaigners, but also for local farmers, landowners and the wider community who have waited far too long for answers.

“For example, will the Department now rescind vesting orders? People are asking the question what happens next?

“We will study the ruling in detail, including the judge’s comments around the role of climate change targets in the decision. This raises serious and potentially far-reaching implications for future infrastructure investment across Northern Ireland and if climate change legislation is an obstacle for delivering major infrastructure schemes then this will have to be looked at as a matter of priority.

“There must now be urgent clarity from the Department – both on the future of the A5 and on how it intends to strike the right balance between environmental responsibilities and the pressing need for safe, modern infrastructure.”