Government failed to plan sewage, says judge.

The High Court in Belfast has today held that the government has failed in its duty to take into account the necessary sewerage infrastructure for new housing developments in Northern Ireland.

The judicial review, launched by Northern Ireland Friends of the Earth (FoE) is part of a prolonged campaign to persuade Northern Ireland Ministers to review their policy of allowing new building developments in 57 sewage 'hotspots' across Northern Ireland without assessing the environmental implications. Since 2002 new developments have been connected to the public sewer even where inadequate or no sewage treatment exists, exacerbating ongoing and serious breaches of EU pollution standards.

The legal action was directed against Water Service, but the policy originally emanates from a decision by Assembly Ministers in October 2002. Despite repeated warnings and requests for a review of the policy, Ministers have persisted in allowing development to continue. The judgement, delivered today by Mr. Justice Weatherup, will mean that the government is legally obliged to take into account the sewerage needs of new housing developments in Northern Ireland, when deliberating on permissions.

A similar case is now in front of the European Court having been taken up by the European Commission as a result of an official complaint by Friends of the Earth.