Public Inquiry to Resume

The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has announced that the public inquiry for our planning application for a modern underground polymetallic mine will resume on 13th April 2026 and end in early June.

The inquiry, which began in January 2025 and was adjourned after three days, represents one of the final stages in a planning process that started in 2016. It is a standard procedure and critical milestone for regionally significant applications such as Dalradian’s, entailing an independent public review of the project and associated social, economic and environmental considerations by the PAC.

Full information of the updated schedule released by the Planning Appeals Commission can be viewed here.

Who are the PAC and how do they work?

The Planning Appeals Commission is a statutory tribunal, independent of any government department or agency. Members of the PAC are public appointees and are called commissioners. They have varied backgrounds and qualifications including town planning, architecture, and law. The PAC is responsible for organising public local inquiries into planning applications. The Chief Commissioner will appoint commissioners to conduct the proceedings.

What happens at the inquiry hearing?

The PAC will conduct the inquiry openly, fairly and impartially. The commissioners will ensure that all parties are given an opportunity to express their views and will direct when people should speak or ask questions.

The PAC will publish a timetable of dates, topics and expected attendees in advance of the opening session of the hearing. The commissioners will lead a round table discussion on each topic. Before moving on to the next topic, the commissioners may give all parties an opportunity for formal questioning or submissions to address any matters which were not covered in the round table discussion.

What happens after the public inquiry hearing?

When all the evidence has been heard, the commissioners will close the proceedings and indicate when they expect to deliver their report. The commissioners will examine all the evidence presented, visit the sites and prepare the report. The report will not summarise the evidence but will set out a reasoned consideration of the main issues and recommend how the application should be determined. The PAC’S report will be reviewed by governmental departments and a decision will be made on our application.  

If approved, this project will deliver jobs, training, investment, community development, and supplier opportunities on a much larger scale for the region. The construction stage alone will see investment that exceeds more than £100 million over an 18-24 month period and create a minimum of 300 jobs. As such, the project aligns well with the aims of Northern Ireland’s new economic vision to create good jobs, address regional imbalance, improve productivity and support the achievement of Net Zero by 2050.

Reference: https://www.pacni.gov.uk/curraghinalt-project-dalradian