The Irish High Court challenge has been brought against a decision to extend the life of a planning permission granted allowing tech giant Apple build a data center in Athenry, Galway, reports RTE.
The court heard that Galway County Council was not entitled to make a decision extending planning permission to build the centre, located near Athenry, the article adds. In February 2015 Apple announced its plans to build its first two data centers in Europe to host iCloud, iTunes and other online services. Located in Ireland and Denmark, these facilities will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Apple planned to start building the Irish data center on a 500-acre site before the end of 2015. However, it was delayed when unhappy Irish citizens lodged formal complaints with the Irish government. Complainants argued that the data centre would increase noise and light pollution, flooding, and traffic. Some also said it would act as an eyesore and others said it would harm the local badger and bat populations.
Apple asked the Irish High Court to fast-track a legal challenge by a handful of objectors to its stalled €850 million data center investment in Athenry, Galway, seeking to avert a potential delay of up to 18 months under a judicial review. The tech giant moved to have the dispute entered on to the commercial list of the High Court, a special division set up to expedite legal disputes with more than €1 million at stake. When things moved slowly, it was announced in 2018 that Apple was abandoning the project.
However, the project appears to have been revived. Apple successfully applied for an extension to its planning permission. In its application the tech giant says it expects to build the center within the next five years.
