Practice Areas

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Environment & Planning

Our market leading Environment & Planning Group excels in applying technical and commercial thinking to this extensive, complex and increasingly regulated area.

We work with our clients to provide commercially focussed advice and solutions in both commercial and contentious matters. Our clients include blue chip multinationals and corporates across a broad range of sectors including renewable energy, data storage, food and beverage as well as heavy industry. We also regularly act for public bodies and local authorities.

We provide a complete service to our clients from the preparation of a planning application through to any planning oral hearing and / or judicial review. We also advise our clients in relation to regulatory enforcement. Our team has a strong background in commercial dispute resolution, being part of William Fry’s Dispute Resolution Department. Our team regularly assists clients to resolve disputes with objectors and / or regulators. We are keenly aware of the most common issues arising during the consenting process (to include Judicial Reviews) and work with our clients to provide solutions.

We have acted in some of the most complex and significant regional and national environmental disputes in recent years.

Michelle Martin

Partner

Liam McCabe

Chairperson

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Experience

Our experience includes advising/representing:

Advising EirGrid plc, the Irish state-owned electricity transmission operator in relation to a proposed emergency development of additional electricity generation capacity to secure supply for the next number of years.
Advising Aughinish Alumina on its strategic infrastructure development planning application for a multi-million euro expansion of its bauxite disposal facility at Askeaton, County Limerick.
Acting for a data centre developer in three separate sets of High Court proceedings connected with its proposed €1 billion data centre in Clonee, County Meath.
Acted for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) on the acquisition by its fund of 50% of Statkraft A/S’ offshore wind portfolio in Ireland.
Advising EirGrid Plc on the planning and environmental aspects of the financing of the Celtic Interconnector, a 700MW submarine power cable linking Ireland and France which will re-connect Ireland to the European electricity market.
Advising Fingal County Council on issues surrounding Dublin Airport and Fingal County Council’s statutory role as the aircraft noise competent authority for the purposes of the EU Aircraft Noise Regulation.
Advising Diageo on the environmental noise controls related to the operation of the St James’ Gate Guinness Brewery.
Advising Fingal County Council on all planning and environmental law aspects of two major flagship development projects – the proposed extension of the Royal Canal Greenway and the proposed Swords Cultural Quarter.
Standing advisor to Tesco Ireland on all planning matters related to the construction, operation and redevelopment of its Irish stores
Acted for Hammerson/Chartered Land in two related sets of proceedings in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal concerning the designation of the Moore Street area as a National Monument.

Areas of Expertise

Our areas of expertise Include:

Strategic Infrastructure Development
Environmental Impact Assessment
Habitats Directive compliance
Judicial Review
Regulatory compliance
Environmental controls and licensing
Marine area / foreshore development
Climate Change Issues
AIE / FOI
Contaminated Land issues
Waste Management Law and Policy
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme and other Climate Change Controls
Planning and environmental due diligence
Planning Oral Hearings
Environmental Liability

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Practice Areas

Environment & Planning

Our market leading Environment & Planning Group excels in applying technical and commercial thinking to this extensive, complex and increasingly regulated area.

Key Contacts

Michelle Martin

Liam McCabe

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