The High Court was recently informed that An Bord Pleanála, the Irish planning authority, has withdrawn its approval for a €1.2 billion data centre complex due to be built in County Clare. The court case brought against the planning decision by three local environmental activists and two NGOs received no opposition from the planning board’s lawyer, Christopher Hughes, who was acting under instruction from Fieldfisher solicitors.
On Monday, Art Data Centres Ltd., the firm developing the centre, requested further time to formulate a response to the unforeseen change following a query from its attorney, Damien Keaney. It was reported to Ms. Justice Emily Farrell that the approval was withdrawn due to a failure to fully consider the effects the construction would have on the environment, specifically local bat populations.
The plaintiffs, who were represented by FP Logue solicitors, were a group comprising of Friends of the Irish Environment, Futureproof Clare, and three individuals; all were concerned about the escalating number of data centres being built and their significant electricity and water usage. A year prior, there were 82 operational data centres in Ireland, which consumed an equivalent amount of electricity as all urban homes in 2022, according to data from consulting firm Bitpower and the Central Statistics Office.
The plaintiffs alleged that An Bord Pleanála had not fulfilled its duty in accordance with the State’s environmental goals, referencing the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act in their case. An Bord Pleanála approved the developer’s plan for six data halls spread across 145 acres with the promise of creating between 400 and 450 jobs after a lengthy six-year zoning, planning, and strategic assessment process.